Life is what happens...

"Life is what happens when you are planning something different." We have all heard that.   On Monday I will be dealing with insurance adjusters instead of having iced tea with a group of friends.   On Thursday May 9th Fredericksburg experienced  a strong wind measured in excess of 80 miles per hour accompanied by massive hail.  Many had hail they likened to golf balls and lemons.  The weather radar channel I was watching reported an identified tornado going over Fredericksburg.  It did not come down to my knowledge anywhere in the city.  I live in the center city now and lost only plants and a skylight and some screens and one window and a few panes in the garage door and of course the roof . 

The larger house in Stoneridge on which I had just written a sales contract last week had much more damage.  All will be righted by and by. 

I am grateful my dear old Vanessa was garaged at Cheryl's house and was not lost.  Vanessa suits me, an old lady car for an old lady, and I am comfortable knowing by habit all of her controls and actions.  I have real affection for my old minivan. It has carried Jack and me on many adventures and even to Maine. These days I haul flowers and bags of mulch and grandchildren and oil painting gear, but stay close to home.  e

Patience throws a party

My Walker dolls will be show offs this next Monday.  Patience and Hannah are preening and posing in a glorious early Queen Ann arm chair which wears it's full paint history, the fabulous old blue over red.  They are sitting with a spoon head doll I made close to 30 years ago.  The beautiful doll quilt is the work of Johnetta B. and a gift to me from friend Penny. 

The Brass Bells (Bell Ringers Antique Study Society), a sub group of The Bell Ringers, will be meeting here on Monday.   I have chosen children's things  for us to show and tell, which will not surprise anyone.   As part of a collection of antique dolls, the possibilities for sub collections are almost endless.  I could show a group of early doll aprons or tiny stockings, or bonnets or doll quilts, you can see how this could lead on to domestic chaos and financial ruin.  I will show doll size hooked rugs I have made for my dolls. The next one I hope to make is the Rooster rug in miniature.

Pictures show some dear little stockings hanging above the Buck's junior cook stove. To one side is a sampler made for my dolls by a treasured friend Melanie.  Melanie thanks again, I think of you  every time my eye goes by this.   E

Shaping my tiny plot of ground

The houses on my street have lots just 50 feet wide, with zero clearance on one side and a garden entry way on the other.  Called garden homes, I have taken the name to heart and am enjoying the many possibilities of this pretty little space.
 
The sun porch is a fine place for pot plants year round as well as a spot to watch backyard birds.

 The small atrium gives light and green plants to the breakfast area and dining area.  I enjoy working with textures of plants in the atrium.

 My back yard is still a simple green lawn 20 by 50 feet. I have hopes for it later that do not include lawn grass.  In fact I would like the entire yard to consist of paths and seating areas and planting areas, no lawn.  Judging by how sore and tired (but happy)  I am tonight it will take a while!
 
My gardening is not xeriscaping as some have called it because of areas of rock mulch.  There are several xeriscaped yards nearby. Mine is not that because it will need significant supplemental watering to live.  If the heat and drought should persist and worsen here, my hardscape will be in place and remain, while individual plants will have to be replaced with hardier cousins from the desert.
 
The side and door yard garden have been bright with  pansies. They are beginning to signal their dislike of Texas summer heat and will soon come up.  Two strong men hung the now faded antiques shop sign in a protected spot beside the front door. Jack made the sign for our business thirty three years back. 

The front yard will contain a nice seating area. Neighbors here walk a lot, and visit out front a bit. I shaped a big irregular "bean" laying out the perimeter with a garden hose, then outlining it with pavers.   Inside of the bean  there will be chairs and shredded wood mulch, soft underfoot.  Around the outside there will be plants in gravel mulch.  It is exciting to me to see the seating area taking on substance after existing only as an idea for so long.   The plants will be so much more interesting when some spread out and others grow tall.  The young man  doing all the heavy things is a treasured new friend and helper. I am starting with a few pictures, and will add more soon. 

A sweet morning to sew.

 

A hutch table on the sun porch is a favorite spot these gorgeous mornings. After breakfast I could not make myself come in the house proper, so I worked a few hours on the porch tidying up an old doll.  My friend Dixie Redmond has an on line magazine site which she lets me share and write for occasionally.  http://www.maidatoday.com/   Maida stands for Making Antique Inspired Dolls and Accessories. It is a favorite hang out for many of my doll making friends.   e

 

 

Photos of the Lightstone house

http://lightstonehome.blogspot.com/

I will try to sell this myself for a few weeks, then may relist.  Wish me luck and send me lookers!  e

Classic Blue and White Waverly updated

The blue and white of old delft in the living room is repeated in the front bed room  The lovely blue and white bed hangings were sewn by Penny and now used on this bed Jack made some years ago. The fabric was given to me by friend Jeanie after our house fire burned all the ones we had at that time. I was not able to make them however and so gave the great fabric to Penny, with Jeanie's blessing.   Now they have come back to me as Penny makes changes and is sewing some lovely bed hangings of crewel embroidered fabric for her home.   Cast your bread upon the waters!   I will lay the old handwoven bed tick and two shams on the foot of the bed to add interest. Note the weaver's red initials on the white sham.

The major pieces in this room reflect Jack's taste for furniture that reveals a cabinets maker's skills using choice woods in glorious grain.  Jackie spent so many happy times in the old homes of Historic Deerfield, studying the 18th century furnishings by renowned Early American cabinet makers.  The earliest pilgrim century furniture to which I was drawn spoke more to him of England, the mother country.   A few generations later the Americans had reached a confident mastery of their art and this is the furniture that resulted.
  E

 

 

Not so many Bluebonnets this spring

Good morning to a fresh new day just breaking here in central Texas. After some hard days for our country it is time to start to heal and turn toward renewal. The unusually cool night for this time in April made me thankful that my tomato plants are still all in pots so they could shelter on the glassed-in porch last night. A young man is coming to help with some changes in the yard. I am taking it slowly with this new space. I have been in this smaller home for almost a year now, and have begun to shape the garden by replacing very overgrown old shrubbery with more plants of my choice. I always am guilty of planting more than I can take care of. This time will likely be no different, but at least there is the constraint of a tiny lot. There will be areas of mulch, and less grass to water. My body asks “no more gardening please” but my spirit says “just a little bit?” Small as this plot may be, I have a front yard, a side yard, a back yard, an atrium, and a sun porch, all wanting plants!  It is truly a garden home as adverised by its builder.

I favor white flowers over colors, but include some blues and purples and a bit of yellow. The play of different textures in the planting adds pleasure also. The recurring considerations of design and color and texture are another iteration of the guides for hooked rug design which steered me in that pursuit.

Gardening is not greatly different from painting except for the amount of physical effort required. I find that painting can be challenging for me now also, if I want to enjoy the currently popular plein air painting. Thirty some odd years ago I painted as an income producing full time artist. I painted imaginary children in early styles and poses for the country decorating so popular at the time. Now I paint only occasionally and just for my own pleasure. Rarely does a friend come in and ask to buy a painting. There are millions of people painting landscapes now, it is a fine way to enjoy the outdoors and the beauty of creation.

Daughter Cheryl and I will be painting on several nearby ranches this week with a group of artists visiting Fredericksburg. They are PAAC, Plein Air Artists of Colorado, here to enjoy our bluebonnet season. The display is not great this year, but at least not zero either.   Just as we can all look for the brighter side of things in life, as painters we can amplify the flowers!   Wish me luck with the walking and carrying that go along with this, I will need it!   E