90th Birthday

90 is a big one! I had a nice cupcake party in the front yard, super windy so masks were relaxed a bit for a few close shots. My brother attended by face time, and gorgeous flowers arrived from my sister and her family , right in the middle of the party. I am alone so much because of covid, so a party was awesome.

There is a certain feeling of "I made it!"

Lovely Granddaughter Sarah who has given me 4 great grands. I have a very large family, only a few here for the birthday visit, but I heard from many of the rest.

Masks off just a minute for a picture with great grandmother. A strong wind was blowing, see our sideways hair.

The man of the hour was here!

 

Same song different verse

 A fresh year is starting off with bright cold beautiful weather here in South central Texas.  Many of the same issues from 2020 will be with us yet a long time, so I am trying to re commit to making my own weather and experience good things as much as possible with friends and family.   This does not mean my head is in the sand over environmental, racial, political and medical issues, I am passionate on all of these!  So much I cannot fix, but that must not ruin what can still be good. So in that spirit I share here the daily pleasantries that hold my life together.  May it be a relief from doom scrolling.

My small space of nature is a joy in every season. Yesterday for a few hours we had snow falling mixed with a much needed rain. Tonight there will be a hard freeze.  With the house still lightly decorated for Christmas, I am enjoying all the sweet cherry tomatoes I can eat. This will be the last for a long while now, as I had drainage problems in the big pots on my sun porch, and the lovely big plants have now given out.  In the kitchen by a bright window there are two green tips in water, which I hope will  be tomato plants by February to plant fresh.  This favorite variety is Husky Cherry Red.

Today I cut the first of my broccoli heads, crisp green and beautiful! Cutting out the head in the center, allows more florets to form on the sides as a secondary gift from the same plant. 

Since I was alone on Christmas, being leery of even the most careful family gathering, decorating was kept to a few bright spots and one small tree.  My newest Izannah Walker doll is compatible with the one that came to me earlier this year and the two little sister dolls are sweet together. I will leave this tree up a few more weeks.

 And Bears just because they make me smile!

I flooded the house with music for the last several weeks. Two favorite Christmas albums of Pavarotti's rich voice rattled the rafters.  My favorite tenor Andrea Bocelli played day and night.  I even tried a little painting of him singing. I did not want to paint from another person's still photo so stopped a frame on a YouTube video to paint from that. 

 My brother and I watched a Christmas special of Bocelli's streaming,  Bro in Austin and me in Fredericksburg but feeling at least somewhat together in the experience..  My computer is my link to people and events.   Now in 2021, my great teacher in Taos plans to teach painting by Zoom.  I can hardly wait!    e

Mary Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

 

Children do not learn nursery rhymes anymore.  My garden grows very well!  It is nip and tuck now dodging the first killing frost, the average date for which is November 10th.  The trees are dropping leaves, not a lot of color here because of drought.  But afternoons are bright and in the 70's.

Sugar snap peas are starting to climb, no blooms yet. That bare spot holds newly planted beet seeds. Boxes beyond hold young lettuce and spinach and then garlic chives.  

I prepared this box today and planted it with beets also.  I had some eggs that had gone past their date so I broke them and added them and other kitchen scraps to the soil as I was filling the container. The top layer is just miracle gro potting soil, which does well sprouting tiny seeds.  How happy the roots should be when they reach the enriched layer below. 

There are two large pots with tomato plants that were started late summer from cuttings, and they are full of tomatoes. These big pots will easily move inside with me to the sun porch at the threat of frost.

Another view of these second season tomatoes by the rain barrel..

These have been the three big ones, over my head now, still have a hundred little tomatoes that will not ripen by frost. I will blanket them a few times to hold off the cold as long as I can! Many of the ornamental bushes in my yard will stay green through the winter, like holly with berries for the birds, and my much loved magnolia tree, Little Gem.  My small yard is so much pleasure now that I am mostly homebound due to covid.  Penny called today to say she is planting strawberries in hanging baskets today.  Maybe next year I will try that.  e

Staying at home these days.

 I continue to enjoy my container garden these pretty fall days.  I hope to paint more soon. But lately I have been sewing for some of my early dolls.   This one is likely from the last quarter of the 18th century.

  Many years ago in a pile of scraps at Brimfield, an early brown and white print fragment caught my eye and came home with me for $7. One sleeve was torn away from the funny short garment and the brown dye had eaten many holes in the fabric, leaving it fragile as a cobweb. Now I know it was a short gown, an unlined everyday cotton garment from maybe 1800 It had a charming pleated fan tail in the back. I have finally made a jacket or short gown for one of my woodens. Phoebe is pleased enough with it, though she would have liked it to be a little snugger in the waist. Hooks and eyes close it in the front.

A perfect early sampler used for her apron is softly folded over a draw string and not pressed, out of respect for this nice old textile.

Picture taken before hooks and eyes added.

Phoebe is serious about her spinning.

The old day cap she wears will be replaced with a plainer one by and by.

The blue polished cotton was once the lining of a melting silk quilt.

The dolls are pleasant company but I also enjoy friends who visit in my yard, The weather here still allows that. Stay safe, edyth

Eagle Rug again

 

There was an earlier version of my Eagle rug lost in the 2005 house fire. This morning I have taken some pictures of the rug I hooked to replace it.  I like it better without the distracting border.  This also made it a little smaller.  I bound the hem on the back with plaid wool.  The rug shows a bit of fading and wear, as it serves on the floor in front of a blue corner cupboard in my bedroom.  For safety’s sake, none of my hooked rugs is now in a walkway. I miss the ones rolled quietly away.

   My color choices are still consistent.  You can see this in a shawl on my big loom at present.  

Here is a look at home school for three little great grands, assisted by Bailey their older sister. Bailey is helping Sarah their mother for a few days, getting school off to a nice beginning for the new semester.  

 

Gus helps too.     Note: comments here have been sweet to get from many of you, but now they are hidden, because of a torrent of very inappropriate and nasty spam which has found my blog.   stay safe, God bless, e

We called it a Victory Garden when I was a little girl.

When I was a child during World war 2,  my step father taught me the pleasure of vegetable gardening.  That has not left me, though my ability to do much now is diminished.  Happily I saw a YouTube clip featuring a different type of inexpensive raised beds and I think they will work for me now.  Accordingly I am searching for another bench or two sturdy small outdoor tables to raise a couple more Rubbermaid storage bins up to a height that I can tend well.  My daughter Beth furnished one this morning and you can see how that works.  They will not be bad looking once there are green things filling them and flowing over the sides.

There are holes drilled for drainage. It takes a lot of soil to fill these! A winter garden planted this fall will be snow peas, broccoli, beets, spinach and lettuce.

My cherry tomatoes have been loaded, currently all picked. They will be quiet till cooler nights return, these do not set fruit till nights are below 70 degrees.

There is a rain barrel in the back.

 There are three sitting areas in the yard, one in the front yard has chairs and tables and another big wooden swing. in our current covid time,  my only company happens outside in the yard.  Below is Granddaughter Hailey in the front yard last week.  Grandkids are the greatest!

A tip cut from one of the tomato plants this morning will make one to plant for fall tomatoes as soon as little roots grow in the water.  A farmer is always thinking about the next crop.   e