It is so pretty here right now! Mushroom dots in the green grass- bright leaves, crisp and hanging on for dear life. The next wind will see to it that they land on the floor. The thrill- gone!
Kim and I went to Emily's today to take care of Emmett. A splendid time to be sure. He is potty trained and talking, like a grown man. Delightful child. Beautiful boy.
We went for a walk to the coffee shop for juice and a bagel. On the way I couldn't stop taking photos and squealing, about the colors - so intense!
Tiny crab apples, the birds don't eat them, the bugs stay away, they are useless but are very cute. I guess that is some sort of purpose. They could be strung and dried for a natural Christmas tree decoration I suppose. Might try that.
Flora's pumpkin is huge now. Growing until it is the size of a carriage.
These are the legit colors, can your eyes even make sense out of them?
Not sure what this plant is- I google -lensed it but came up with too many false ideas. The berries are flat (?) the leaves are insane!
We walked, we talked, We compared first jobs stories and laughed so much - wished we had worn more substantial underpants. Kim's first job when she was maybe fourteen or so, was selling carnations at the side of the road. She remembers being picked up by some people , taken out to a desert road , left with a bucketful of carnations to sell . Stood for hours , no traffic , no people , just desert. . She abandoned the bucket ,called a friend to come and get her, got home before dark and her parents never knew.
What you ,as a parent, do not know is probably a blessing.What you do know is worrying enough!
One of Emily's neighbors has a front garden absolutely brimming with Japanese lanterns.
They are wonderful are they not? Every stage of their lives is surreal. I have tried to grow them with zero success. It takes three years for them to actually become lantern pods. I am jealous of this woman's successful garden.
Their color is vibrant- more vermilion than orange. She also grew Honesty plants, and crimson love-lies bleeding. Most of which had been harvested and hung to dry.
Autumn was my mother's favorite season. Wyoming did not offer much as there were no trees or bright gardens. My parents decided that they wanted to drive to Maine to see REAL autumn. I was just starting my last year in high school, my brother was away at college. My mother had some elderly woman come in and check up on me , I was on my own. Always independent I didn't mind the empty house. I could eat as many hot dogs that I could find in the freezer. Cake and coffee before school. Pretty great!
Then something came up at school and I had to have a formal gown. I went to the dress shop in town -got a really great dress. My mother had credit with the shop so it was her dime. Dress,- check ,shoes, check- gloves check - all ready for the school assembly - "Outlaw Day", the crowing of the Outlaw queen. ( dear lord!)
My parents, bless them, high tailed back across country , got home in time to be in the audience at the assembly to see their homely, bratty child get a splendid, if iffy, tin crown and title of Queen of The Outlaws. Hilarious now , of course- back then it seemed special. Anyway , I got a pretty nice dress out of the deal . And every autumn I think of my mother and the drive across country to see color and busting their buns to get back to see that fabulous dress. It served me well through the rest of High school and three years of university. Then either it fell apart or I ate too many hot dogs , to much cake.
I just received photos from Keeka- climbimg into a massive cave in Borneo, she is loving that part of the world . The monkeys are naughty! They steal everything not tied down, aggressive and quick and bitey.
She wants to be "Crazy rich Asian".
Have a lovely autumn day, I hope you have a tree to look at!
Soft Sunday morning, waking in mist. Fog is such a gentle ease into the day. Wrapped in Icelandic wool, cup of Joe, I personally love foggy mornings. matching reality with my actual shite vision. do not attempt to adjust your screen- fog is real.
On the fuzzy deck, Raccoons sleep , away from traffic and dogs and anything else that might disturb their slumber. Humans, the worst, deck is quiet and safe.
I have put my old flower press to task . It takes about two weeks for some of the plants to dry and flatten completely and if the plants are fat, like French lavender , it takes about one month. I vacated what has been pressed from spring, Dusty Miller leaves , in the spring they are tiny and cute. I did so with the intention of making more fairy chairs, out of Russian sage and Dusty Miller. Possibly will use moss for cushions next time. Not sure I will even hold to this plan, it is fiddly and I am blind.
I think that I can do better especially if I go to the store and buy patience , and quick setting glue.
I thought I might put a few leaves in an envelope and send them to Annie for her gel plate printing art- though Annie has acres of botanicals at her doorstep, dusty miller is probably the last thing she needs.
What would you do with them?
This is my old flower press given to me at least 40 years ago , Smith and Hawken when they actually offered handmade quality gardening supplies. Before China/Target .
It is large. It does a good job. It will last at least another 40 years.
I won't. In case I face a botched execution- I now know what to expect when I am hauled off in a wagon-There is a list of procedures after Christa Pike's failed execution, that the hospital follows to (maybe) bring her back , brain damaged, only to be "executed" again. Jesus- humans are cruel and Tennessee is a shite state among many. 27 more compassionate states have abolished the death penalty. Bulgy Diaper Butt, Kankles loves executions , attempted executions a fave- defiant fist -owie on ear. Great publicity adding to his seemingly immortal water- off -a - ducks -back divinity. Will kill but not be killed sort of contract.
We think about death - ways to die. We hope to go to sleep and not wake up, comfortable and cosy under comforters , silk sheets a gentle breeze brushing our cheek , lifting the Burano lace window curtain. A soft foggy morning...Ideal. Lyrical.
I was talking with Jan F. about writing our own Obituaries. Serendipitously, just then on NPR, they were talking about this very thing . Write your obit focusing on "being best"- the better attributes that you would like to have achieved- an exercise in creative writing. An opportunity , perhaps, to be an outstanding human of incredible moral character- a no fear adventurer- not too late, they claim, at least in writing.
I was thinking more to write several self obits each one more ridiculous than the previous. Mundane or extraordinary . " She liked jam. She liked toast. She excelled in preparation of sumptuous dinners of Jammy Toast . She will be missed not a lot, by many" . You're fine being dead, especially having written your own glowing obit, but your beloveds are left bereft . So - don't die, is my logic or, if that is inescapable, make it joyful, leave "post- its" around the house , curious messages, leave crumbs in the bed, plant bulbs, hundreds of them , that will bloom in spring after you have exited. Stick googly eyes on documents , kept in the file, that will only be fished out after you are dead-(the will, birth certificate- your marriage license)... the left behinders will appreciate your "adios" , may even even feel a sense of relief after having endured to much of your shenanigans. That is what I reckon , but no one is allowed to die before me, OK. Deal?Pinkie swear!
Put your house in order, make surfaces, clear drawers and closets get rid of things. Great advice for the coming months when cabin fever can undo the best of us. Advice not taken here, however, and off I go to the thrift store bringing back a couple of things but mostly leaving stuff on the shelves. Not because it is not great, mind you, but because I must change my habit. Some things are useful- some are just too good to leave in the shop. I don't knit but had to have this exquisite merino hand dyed yarn, the colors, the softness, the fine,even spin. Pretty sure i will find a use for this yarn even though it may be unconventional. I may just hug it, it feels delicious.
Generally I avoid the clear glass section. But there sat a cut crystal celery dish gathering prisms, shooting them all around. Hit my eye and landed in my basket. Jumped right in along with a tea strainer, silver plated at one time in its life , now worn thin.
The new fence has not detoured the animals, the deer are still in the yard , the raccoons using it for their playground. The issue is -by a tree nearby the raccoons have started a latrine. Easy enough to clean up but the neighbor is fraught about it and was quoted by the city a $3,000.00 clean up. The two mothers with their children came this morning harmoniously- no mature males...The neighbor, out on her deck ,taking photographic "evidence" of raccoons on our deck. So...I am expecting to get reported, fined, sent out to clean up after the raccoons and making the neighbor a happier person.
She is the twin sister of our state senator so I am sure that her photographic "evidence" will land squarely on my bank account- another reason to NOT live in a neighborhood of humans. Still a small price to pay for the joy I get from my little family, and not nearly close to the price of having a dog or a cat or a bag full of hamsters.
We received a text from grandson in the morning asking us to meet him and his grandma at a cafe in Fairhaven at 5:30. We were on time but they were a no show.
-turns out that the text was from September 6th, and somehow got sent this morning, Grandson in Seattle getting set up for Uni, Grandma ensconced in her house by the lake...Weird. We didn't take time to have a bite to eat , not our favorite cafe though it looks charming. I was one of the original staff, with my friends, when it first launched nearly 41 years ago- of course it has changed , not for the better.
It was a pleasant little wander through Autumnal colors at dusk, the changes in the area are startling, especially when one has not wandered there for a while. It is geared more for tourism now than for folks who live here, exorbitant rents, shops struggling. No hardware store, no post office, nothing that sustains a community, just fluff. All of the reasons that we initially moved from the Beach to town are no longer applicable. We sold our cabin on the beach , there is no going back, not that we would anyway.
That is that- I won't even bother mentioning national news, what is the point, we all are sorely aware...
I will ,however, address a more local , pressing problem, hearing loss , and the problems surfacing as a consequence. Problematic for those suffering loss also problematic for those not quite there yet. Relationship with the world limits capacity to understand, somewhat isolates the sufferer and contributes too much to misunderstanding, mishearing, or hearing not at all- nodding as though engaged . Dennis got his "aids" at cost co. They only work well when he is plugged into blue tooth on his phone , so If I phone him he can hear me. I encourage him to go to a specialist audiologist but considering his devotion to Cost Co that suggestion seems to be an affront. Anyway, when people suffer loss of hearing the tendency to blame the world around them - "not speaking loud enough" - "mumbling" - results in getting mad at the world of people talking in a normal manner because THEY can't hear them. Frustrating for everyone. Fix your problem- I say, reckon with loss and limitation, there is help available. It is always something, mobility issues, hearing loss , vision difficulty, on goes the list. The difference being that if one is going blind, or has compromised mobility , there is no blaming the world and demanding that it step up to brighten lights and offer clear paths - Help and gadgets are there to aid. That is my rant of the day. And Yes, it costs a BIG dollar but that is the way of the USA. This is where we live.
Would rather be with Roy riding under western skies on my cayuse.
A fence , nicely made but totally unsuited for purpose.
Sassy walker, from a bin. Raccoons will soon slack off in winter months going into semi hibernation, the deck will no longer provide.
See ya! Wishing you well, unplug from ALL national/world news for a few days, gather your wits. Go for a wander, find a red leaf!
As I was emailing Jan F, and reading her expressed "sorry about the little raccoon" . After more that two weeks, and suspicious coyote poo in the yard, pretty sure that Lil Stumpy was a goner, convinced that the coyote had a Lil Stumpy snack. And just like that- Lil Stumpy showed up with the whole family, using his stump very well, eating kibbles as though nothing had ever happened. Back to his old self , causing a ruckus, tipping over the bucket of water , rolling it around the deck, wrestling with his siblings.
Good things always happen with Jan F. nearby. Her emails brighten the day every time- I reckon it was her sparkling energy that brought my baby racoon back to the land of the living. She's got the magic and brilliant timing.
I tried to take a photo through the window of the begonia - my camera can not quite "get". The color is the best pink I have ever seen but camera sees Pepto Bismol .
The last of the boy blossoms for making Zucchini - Dennis kept them in the fridge, just in case a girl happened to open her willing petals. Chances are no longer feasible as the temperature has dropped , the sun is lower in the sky, the girls have abandoned the deck altogether. Perky little penises were composted.
Keeka sent a photo of Kuala Lumpur that is quite lovely. She spent a month in Japan, the photos are A- Mazing! She stayed part time with a Japanese family there whom she had met on her travels. Kindness all around.
She is of the generation given an iffy future. Some curl up and grumble and some are making the most of this beautiful life - getting out there spreading joy and dollars. Away from monkey business, corruption and utter insanity- smart child is our Keeka. She is a great little ambassador.
As the sun was going down, a timid knock on the door- Too timid for the knocker I must say. My first thought was "the God squad" and I didn't answer. Dennis did and there stood Luke's dad!
The little neighbor girl, showing us who she is going to be for Halloween . As serendipity goes- I had a music box by the door to go to Habitat or V V that played the theme from Star Wars. She has it now . Perfect! One time she showed up as Santa and another as a teen age mutant ninja turtle. She was keen on Spider Man for a brief period, glad that one did not last.
Leaving you with two photos- one, of the best inventions ever invented by a man- an artist , of course, fully understanding the dilemma- a woman's urinal. YES, must have, please, on every corner!
by Alex Schweder.
And two- My collapsible wire basket - it fits against the wall , flat and out of the way until some one wants to use it for onions and pine cones?
Friday, September 25, 2026
This morning I opened the door and winter smacked me right in the face.
Rain has come and it is 49 degrees. Probably had too many cups of tea during the day. I have run out of biscuits because two cups of tea require at least six biscuits on a day like today.
Yesterday I had to go to the post office so naturally I stopped in at the thrift store. See that wooden hand holding an orange? That was part of my splendid purchase .
This tin box was another. The top is divided like a picnic basket , with little knobs for opening. It is roomy , a practical storage tin for ALL of the biscuits I need as winter approaches.
There were six Matryoshka dolls in a bag on the things-in-bags- wall. They came home with me as well as a collapsible vintage wire shopping basket, coolest portable carrier I have ever seen. In another bag on the wall hung this Mexican angel, made by Wixarika person in the Sierra Madres. Mexican art- either you love it or you don't. At the moment I am loving it - it seems to find me - jumps right into my hands! I have no control over these things.
This form of art is done with tiny beads and wax, The face is a hard mache-ish material. Chubby cheeks- having eaten too many clouds, probably.
Marjolene is back at Mary's for a couple of months , she arrived on Tuesday bringing tulip bulbs from the Netherlands, chocolate and cheese. I gave her salmon. I love when she is here. Weather having shifted into bloody cold all of a sudden- I will take one of my Norwegian sweaters to her- the chill doesn't stand a chance. Norwegian sweaters are armor.
Yesterday the flowers were still pumping out blossoms, today not so much. Interesting to watch them react. Cosmos turn upside down shedding the rain- the sunflowers toppled to the ground where they are not so exposed. The other flowers are just bobbing around like a dance party.
A cosmo being held up by mint... Getting a face full of rain against it's will.
I will wait until after the freeze to do anything about the deck flowers. I scooted the fuchia baskets close to the house in a corner. Sometimes they come back if winter is not too wild. Leaving you with a few of Annie's installations on her land-
Giant clam shells lining the path-
enormous nest made of branches, housing huge eggs-
