zoom in

When I visit the nursery each Spring, I look for flowers that have performed well for me in the past.  In other words, things that flourish in spite of my minimal attention.  Once in a while, I pick something that has caught my attention in someone else's yard.  I give it one chance to do well for me, and if it disappoints, then I consider it too much of a challenge. A few days ago I spotted this lush beauty on my morning coffee walk. It made me think maybe I would be willing to give the aristocrat of climbers another try.  There is the possibilty that my first go around was not the fault of the Clematis.

Friday was one of those perfect evenings, low humidity, calm, with temperatures in the sixties.  So when I received an invitation from my neice to check out the Art Walk on Grand Ave. I was delighted.  We explored the exhibits at a few galleries and then... we took a few moment to get an airbrushed tatoo. Stephanie chose Energy and I selected Beauty We spend some time observing the street artists as they worked at their craft. My favorite exhibit will be on display for awhile so you might want to check it out. It was a great way to get a little exercise walking while having some fun. And this area of Grand Ave. is a great place for a stroll.

Peonies, like the rest of us, stuggle to remain upright.

I love the ritual of walking a few blocks for my morning coffee.  I know it would be considerably cheaper to "drink" at home but there is more to it than the coffee.  Yesterday as I headed out the door, I paused to dead head my geraniums.  As I walked up to the yard waste dumpster to drop the spent blossoms, I was startled by a pair of orphans.  They were clinging to each other and looking very forlorn after a night out in the rain.  Their hair was tangled and they sorely need a bath.  Now remember, this is before coffee so I'm not firing on all cylninders. Unlike my blog from yesterday, I did not hesitate.  I scooped one under each arm and hauled them back to my studio.  You cannot tell by this picture but the paint is peeling and it's obvious they were a deep red at one time.  The wheels are in motion on what to do with this find.  They will reappear in a later post.  Let me know if you recognize them.

Trolling the alleys is one of my favorite past times.  It's not the 95 % of the time spent looking at soggy mattresses and stained, broken down couches or discarded plastic kids toys that makes it fun.  It's not really the 4% of time spent trying to decide if something is worth hauling home in the hopes that it can be transformed or in some way salvaged for service or beauty again.  It is all for that l% of time spent, that time when, as if by magic, there for the taking is a piece of furniture or a remnant of architecture, or a piece of wood or metal that speaks to me.  It begs me to take it home and give it another chance.  There are those things that ask and I can't refuse.  I was not always so selective.  I used to want to rescue everything that had an ounce of hope left.  But I ran out of room and those "saved" items became a burden.  They sat there wondering when I was going to give them some attention.  So now I'm willing to leave...

                                 This week's rain took it's toll on these beauties. The camera captures as best it can and the memory does the rest.

This isn't my house and I don't know who lives here,  but it makes me relax a little and I have to smile when I pass by.

What allows the shoulders to drop a smidge and the breathing to be less shallow when we arrive home? Whether we are gone for 5 hours or five days the relaxing sigh when we walk through the door is the same.  For me it's being surrounded by things I have chosen, things that are familiar to me.  Those choices are an outward expression of my personal taste.  So when I am surrounded by those choices I see and feel my inner preferences reflected back to me.  In a short radius from my own home, I photographed places that speak to their residents in a similar way.  I wonder why they think coming home feels so sweet.                                                            ...

This week I did one of my random stops at Upscale Resale which has become a favorite haunt of mine. (More to show you on why in a later post.)  I could not pass up this precious bowl.  The shape and the colors...OMG would you not have to take it home?  Then I made about 10 more stops and arrived home six hours later.  Grabbed my packages...you already know where this is going don't you?  Yep, the one bag that slipped from my hands was the delicate little bowl wrapped in only one layer of tissue paper.  You're hoping I was cutting acoss the lawn and this story is going to have a happy ending.  Sorry!  I was on the brick walk and was I every sorry.  I should have taken a picture of the 12  sad looking pieces lying inside the tissue but, honestly, I was not thinking about blogging about this at the time.  All I could think of was how to make this end on a more positive note.  The fact that it only cost $5 did not do it.  But ...

Today I sweetened my morning coffee with a divine raspberry and white chocolate scone on the rear patio of the Gelateria. I enjoyed the solitude and observed a few things. What did I do to deserve such a long time out? The sign in the window....just curious. I've seen you around.  What's your name? It seems I wasn't really alone after all.