Evolving Sweetie

How Does Your Garden Grow?

It's my 3rd year with the P-Patch and I decided to step up my game this year. First of all, I took on a leadership role in the garden creating a blog-site for the Magnuson P-Patch. It's starting to weave a community for our gardeners and has been well received. One of the reasons I'm so sporatic on this site.

And secondly, I decided to invest in raised beds for my site this year. Our ground is such heavy clay that I wanted to create more friendly growing environment. Not to mention save my back a bit. 200 sq feet is ALOT for one person to garden. I've had lots of help with this endeavor for which I'm eternally grateful:

• Constance, for helping me in the rain to clear 75% of the patch. Singing and laughing in the cold April rain!
• Parker, for his hard work and elbow grease in creating the raised bed. Lots of wheelbarrows of wood and screws. You Rock!
• Mom & Dad, for countless wheelbarrow trips to move 2 yards of veggie soil mix from Cedar Grove. Yah for bulk delivery cost, UGH for hauling. Wonderful afternoon's work to move the earth! Thank you!
• Rawa, for more weeding/clearing help. You have the cleanest patch on site.

Lots of sweat and a few tears in this year's garden. The border is filling in nicely with herbs, foxgloves, lupine, dahlias and lavendars. Lovely.  And despite the cold, raining spring my plants are thriving. Artichokes reaching for the sky. Tomato plants shooting up over the water walls, Lettuce full headed. Spinach and strawberries thriving. Abundance of snap peas shoots just starting to bloom and scarlet runner beans are running. The first hints of zucchini and patti pan blossoms are taking hold. Thriving is an understatement.

Harvests have included:

• Bags of spinach.
• Handfuls of strawberries.
• Lots of lettuce
• Arm loads of swiss chard and kale.
• Bouquets of sage and chives.

It's been a labor of love and a joy. The work is never done. More to weed, more to plant, more to nuture. But what a gorgeous dance of give and take.  And the benefits for my mind, body and spirit are too plentiful to count.

 

Postcards from my garden:

this evening

Ready to plant - mid May

End of May

Strawberry & spinach patch

Artichokes

Scarlet runner beans - climbing and blooming

Lettuce & Patti Pan Squash

Sweet & snap peas

Tomatos

Brussel sprouts, kale and zucchini

My plot

Beautiful

 

 

Pioneer Woman in Seattle

This week has been jammed packed with activity. Entertainment galore. Updates forthcoming.

Last night, Ree Drummond aka the Pioneer Woman was in town promoting her new cookbook. Promise she is as charming, gracious and funny in person. Very sweet and lovely after signing books for nearly 3 hours. 

My friend Catherine & I braved standing in line 2 hours to get 7 books signs (bless her heart!). Plenty of great time to catch up. We made a few women's day by upgrading their group ticket from "H" to "E" as we had 2 extra tickets due to no shows. Mercy, we left at 10:15 and they were just starting signing group F. My feet finally recovered after a good ol' epson bath soak and few zzzs.

Wonderful night!

 

Postcards from Third Place Books in Seattle: 

Standing in line - almost there

Yahoo!

My stack! Not all for me.

 

Free-falling

Reminded myself yesterday why I love day trips so. Magical crossings on the ferry watching the waves and seaguls dance in the sunbeams. NPR Sat morning chuckles. Belting out old and new favs at the top of my lungs. Landscape changing with every turn. 

Rare for me to travel so far alone. And I had the bonus of meeting friends at that other end. But ah, the luxurious freedom of it. Reclaiming of a joy I once so loved. Enough distance past that the echos of T & C journeys are faint. Time to rediscover anew, solo or with a player to be named later.

The title of the post was inspired by the scene in Jerry Maquire where Jerry is on the road happily singing Tom Petty's Free-falling. The smile on his face sums it up beautifully.

 

Goodnight, My Little Pumpkin

And life changes in a flash. Came home Wednesday night to find Ross in a crumbled heap with his back legs immobile and scared out of his wits. The time had come. Miraculously, I had the presence of mind to get us both to the ER Vet and my BIL to meet us there. 

I marvel at the words that flow in this moment.  We both had been preparing and rehearsing our speeches. Secret little kitty purrs straight into my ear and o'dark thirty awakening to sneak in more snuggles. Many snuggle sessions ending with me in tears telling him how loved he is, how grateful I am that he spent his life with me and how I don't know how I will start and end my days with out his sweet presence. All of that goes out the window when the time is at hand. Tears flow endlessly, but the words dripping throughout like a mantra are all of reassurance...peace is coming, Chandler & Chuck are waiting, you've been the best kitty ever.  And the most urgently needed one for us both to hear - I will be ok. I promise.

My life has been so blessed with 16.5 years entwined with a beautiful, devoted, loving, funny, stubborn and sweet, sweet little cat named Ross. A true gift of unconditional love that saved my life time and time again. I love you so pumpkin. 

 

Postcards of my little Ross

 

last pictures - silly boy

Favorite spot to snuggle

Love this one

Healthier days

How I picture him now...snuggled up with his brother, my little one Chandler.

Love and miss you both!!!

 

A Walk in the Zoo

My lovely nieces and I took in the Woodland Park Zoo a few weekends ago. Loved soaking up the Aunt time and sunshine. We had a blast. What a joy to see how their engagement with the animals and zoo paraphernalia morphs with their age. 

I treasure these years where I joyously play the part of the fun and adoring aunt in their lives. As time marches on this too will shift and evolve into a different view. Will I be the treasured confidant? An old fav that lost it's glitter? A spiritual guide? A trusted friend? Or someone who just doesn't understand? Likely, the answer is all of thee above.  So for now, I'll be present and cherish these moments. And enjoy my rockstar status in their lives.

 

Postcards from the Woodland Park Zoo

Mairead @ 7.5 

Emmie's creations

Mairead's bird house

Peacock strut

Giraffes strolling

Emmie @ 5.75

My monkeys tree climbing

Beautiful Jaguar

Last view of the day. Catch you later Penguins.

 

Springing Back into Action

Wow, hard to believe it's been almost 2 whole seasons since I've created in this space. Time flies too fast. Wish I could report some fabulous new beau, journey or wonderful new passion whisked me away all this time. Alas, just the normal rhythms of life. And a healthy desire to create this space a new.  But as with all my plans lots of thought is generated without a lot of follow through.  I'm in a little bit of a doers slump.

Love my BFF, she's been through EVERYTHING with me and sums it up best. I've a need to look at life from all angles and potential outcomes. However when I've decided on the road, action and creation follow swiftly. 

This space started out as a journey towards healing. Evolving myself, a.k.a. "Sweetie" with grief and work through widowhood into a new chapter. And aside from the engaging in a new relationship part and a few paperwork issues, I've done a beautiful job. Survival secured. Now is the time to trive.

Thrive.

Be Happy.

Make choices out of love and gratitude.

Create.

Laugh more, smile often.

Listen to my heart.

Loosen the grip on the past.

Let the future unfold at it's own pace.

Be present.

Recognise the little steps I take today, will become miles down the road.

Be Jeannette. No one else can be.

 

 

Gobbled up Gobs

Everyone has those nostaglic little mementoes from childhood. Smells and tastes that take you back to a specific place in time. Gobs are it for me. Tasty little chocolate cake, vanilla iced cookie sandwiches that are a little slice of heaven whipped up in Western PA. Looks like a whoopie pie, only so much better.  Yum!

Gobs are a little souvenir from family picnics and summers days. A piece of my history and elders that I've been searching to preserve. All the recipes I found focused on marshmellow fluffed out icings which are so wrong. However, recently I hit the jackpot when Gobba Gobba Hey came out last month. Not only does it contain the original coveted recipe, there are 50+ imaginative flavor combinations to try out.

Last week my parents were in town and we embarked on making a batch. Little more time consuming than a traditional cake or cookie recipe, but so worth the effort. We were all tickled to have a little piece of our youth back. Flooded with memories in Grandma & Aunt Kittie's kitchen. Fun, fun times.

Happy to have that treasured little morsel back.

 

POSTCARD from my Kitchen

Lazy Autumn Sunday

For the first time in many months I have a free weekend day without plans. Yahoo!  I need a little unstructured ME time. Life's been hectic. Work, quilting classes, parents visits, birthdays, tail-gates and catching up with friends. All good stuff. 

Slept in till 11 sans alarm clock this morning after a much needed late night check in with BFF in Belgium. Hot breakfast and toggling between my two favorite teams football games. Honestly though the Steelers look like they have this one much in hand. Seahawks need more support right now. 

Itching to finish putting together my Steel Town Girl quilt top. Loving the look of it so far. Jamie's baby blanket is calling from the knitting needles and the advent calendars are ripe for cutting out. Happiness. My creative soul sings!

Today is also prime stock making time. Nothing says fall like chicken stock simmering on the stove top. Next week's tailgate is a Chili-Off. I'm planning a White Bean Chicken Chili. Homemade stock is key.  Fourth quarter flips through cookbooks for week planning and I'll be set for a quick run out for supplies.

Sounds like the perfect day to me. Happy Sunday!

810 Stitches

Working right now on a scarf pattern that is knit in length wise rows. Cast on (start with) 810 stitches. To put this into perspective most scarves I've worked on start with 24 stitches or less. It's a challenging little mental battle. I knit my poor little fingers to the bone all night long and in the end I'm on row 3. 3! The axis turned and my progress seems so small in the grand scheme of the project.

Patience is not an inherent virtue that I possess. 

Reminds me of the prayer beads I've worked through in tougher times. 108 beads in all. Deliberate knots massaged through fingers. Prayers breathed into the smooth and soothing spaces between. Body packaged in stillness until the practice is completed. Moments the mind races forth, unbridled..."Are we there yet?"  And when that evening's practice is completed maybe a tiny space of peace, hope or relief is revealed. But in truth, it's the cumulative efforts that weave forth the cloak of gratitude, shawl of peace or blanket of contentment I'm so desperately trying to see take shape in each the individual prayer. 

Every little stitch and reverent prayer in the moment of creation is unique.

And surrendered to the beauty of the whole.

 

 

 

Weekend Bliss

Last weekend was perfect!

• Super fun gathering with the gang on Friday night enjoying our Park and a beautiful summer night. 
• Back to school shopping and a one-on-one date with my lovely niece Mairead. 
• New hair-do and visit with Joel. Always a pleasure.
• Greek food and dinner with my friend Preeti.
• Long catch up with Janie in Belgium.
• Coffee & pastries at my favorite bakery.
• Yummy berries from Spooner Farms.
• Baked a scrumptous blueberry pie.
• Check in with my parents
• Rounded out with wonderful dinner at my sisters. An evening enjoying family.

Relaxing and filled with the peeps I love. What could be better. 

This is a hectic, but short week for me. The gang is camping for Fri-Monday up at Deception Pass next weekend. Lots to do between now and then, car repairs, accupuncture, Mariner's Game, Baby party, Work, Work Picnic, shopping and packing out the car. Makes me equally tired and rejuvenated to think about it. Excited for a getaway and some quality outdoors time.

Happy Tuesday!