Nimble in the Garden

Wednesday, May 14th, 2020

There was a time when I was nimble in the garden...

it went on for years and years, and they were glorious times.

First of all, when the children were young and we were raising a family I kept my nimbleness in check and was content with a few Peonies, a willow tree, some Iris and always the Blaze Rose!!!

I
We had thirty acres there, on a hillside, and our house was located half way up the hill.  I had a yen to line the roadway with hollyhocks, as our house had been when I was growing up, but I received very little support for this idea, and the only hollyhocks I have had in all these years are some which volunteer at our back gate, facing the lane.

It was apparent that nobody in the family had experienced the joy of making ball gowns from hollyhock blooms, for clover headed dolls, as I had when young, and with my bestest friend!!!

We were on the farm for almost forty years, but when we moved to town we had three acres of land - pasture for horses (where we eventually grew tomatoes, having no horses then) and just all the room a gardener would wish for,  -  of which I took great advantage!

The header on my blog is a picture of the bed which lined the street, and I think it probably includes the great log fence that Charles built to protect the flower beds from passers-by. and to define the street lawn.

We grew all sorts of wonderful flowers there, - lilies and peonies and snowball bushes, and flax and poppies and delpinium, - oh, I could go on and on.....  It was a gardener's heaven, and always being an early riser I would be able to get an hour or two in the morning garden, with the long shadows and the cool early morning air., - all this before Charles arose for breakfast......

Eventually we moved away, - bought a smaller mobile home and placed it

on our son's property.

There was no garden at first, but we soon took delivery of a few

truck's full of top soil, and planted trees and shrubs

and lots of flowers!!

and, of course, at one end of the house we had a Blaze Rose (but I can't seem to find a picture of it, except in my memory.

We got older, alas, - as we all do if we are lucky, - but it seemed the time for us to move back to town, and we were lucky enough to find a lovely little house, with a beautiful garden, and room for looms, as well!!!   Our son and daughter-in-law own the house, but I indulge myself in the garden, with the help of family, and the dear one who looks down from heaven and gives directions!!!

This is the owl my sister made for me, many, many years ago, to watch over all our gardens, and here he sits amongst the greenery!!

So this is the lovely garden I have now, - just a few pictures.  There is a blue delphinium, lots of shasta daisies a Mister Lincoln Rose, and of course, as always, a Blaze.

Life is good, but I'm here to tell you, I am not as nimble in the garden as I once was. I stop more often and rock a bit in the garden swing and have a swig of lemonade, and Bruce sits with me and we contemplate the white rose on Callie's grave, and miss her......

May 12th, 1945

The morning of my wedding to this lovely man, newly returned from Overseas

He was picking up a bride on his way home

to the Similkameen

and this must have been the happiest one

he could find.

Hard to realize that would have been seventy-five years ago!!!

There is a Sara Teasdale poem

that has always spoken to me about this dear fellow!!

It is entitled "The Beloved"

"It is enough of honour for one lifetime

to have known you better than the rest have known.

The shadows and the colours

of your voice...

Your will, immutable and still as stone.

The shy heart, so lonely and so gay

The tenderness, the depth of tenderness....

Wide as the earth, and high, as heaven is high."

I treasure the sixty seven years

we had together!

Thursday May 7th, 2020

'Thursday is the day my daughter and I

set aside for "Happy Hour"

and a catch up of all the foregoing week's gossip

and news!!

A couple of glasses of Hochtaller for her

and a snifter of Apricot Brandy for me

(cut with ginger ale!)

It's a happy hour that I anticipate with pleasure.

It's only an hour and soon it is supper time

and she is off down the hallway and out the back door

across the lane to where she lives......

As she went down the hall the loom room caught her attention...

and the empty LeClerc!!!!

"I suppose you'll be re-dressing it soon,"

she remarked dryly..  and of course I will!!!|

but first I must do the fringing on the silk and wool scarf

I just took off, - before I can wash it

and treat it to that wonderful magic that water and a

 good soaping accomplish.

This is a collapsing  plain weave scarf

and though it comes off the loom looking like any other

piece of handwoven material

after a dunking in some warm water and 

a hearty squeezing and squishing in the soapy water

the magic works, and lo, the wool shrinks and causes the rest

to balloon out in wonderful clouds of delicate silk.

I have made these scarves before, and they are a delight....

but before I can indulge myself squishing and squeezing

I must finish the fringing or those bits of warp

that dangle at both ends of the scarf,

will be tangled, instead of 'dangled'.

I will capture some pictures to share the magic!!!

Probably tomorrow.........at one time I would stay up all night

to finish a project,

but alas those days are gone, and I can hear my mother,

admonishing me to leave the sewing,

go to bed, and finish in the morning.

And of course, Mothers know best|!!!

Here is the scarf as it came off the loom.....

plain weave, and nothing fancy.

The borders and the blue and pink stripes are wool,

 and will shrink.

but not the scarlet silk.

washed, soaped and bubbled

still as red, but the camera was shy

and stuck with the faded colour!!

Sorry.....

I am pleased with the actual scarf, even

if it didn't photograph well!!

Wednesday in the first week of May, 2020

Woke to rain falling on the neighbours work shed, which lies beside my open bedroom window, on the other side of the fence.....

A lovely sound, and when I rose to click the red button on the coffee pot, and call Bruce for his morning adventure through the little dog door, I caught that wonderful whiff of wet grass, and the rain was dripping happily down through the hole in the eaves, outside the kitchen window.

Our first really serious rain of the season, and one that was welcome by all, humans, plants, grasses and trees - all luxuriating in this wonderful dampness and cloudy skies.....

Even without the rain the garden has been leaping forward with great bounds, - peonies in bud, the quince in blossom,

the single white peony which blooms early

and the wild violets with just one thought in their little blossomless heads - to take over the garden, and make it their's, - all theirs!

However, they have been thwarted by an earnest attention to weeding, and hopefully even the rain won't lend them the vigour to push all the plants aside and fly their own flag!!!

I took advantage of the indoor weather and made for the loom room, where I am putting together a collapsible scarf - red silk, and various shades of wool,  that I trust will shrink and cause the silk to balloon.

Unfortunately my back is not as valiant as it once was, and weaving is an off and on again thing, - not a whole day's endeavour as it once was.

I have reached the part of the scarf that will go around the neck, making it wholly of wool so that it will shrink into a nice warm woolly section.  Time for lunch, and maybe a little nap!!!

The rain has stopped, - after getting all the garden cushion seats good and wet,  but the clouds still linger, and I can look forward to another hour or two on the loom before it's time to think of supper.
Fish and chips I venture, - it's not Friday, but my sweet and accommodating DIL shopped for me this morning, and brought home a lovely bit of cod.

It has been such a long time since I have been in our local grocery shop!  The result of growing old, no longer having a driver's license, the new rules at the store regarding Covid19, and the wonderful generosity of my children who between them seem to manage to do all my shopping and provide me with everything that's needed.

The sky begins to clear a little...

Perhaps tomorrow will be a garden day, - in the meantime, back to the loom!!!!

This and That

It's been that kind of a day....

I did some hemming on the towels just off the loom; 

struggled with the cutch grass that is growing up around the perennial sweet peas; 

made some scones; 

wrote a letter; 

paid  the monthly bills

and planted the lettuce and herb plants that I bought at the garden store on Saturday!!!

That was quite an adventure, - 

one shared with our youngest son 

who kindly and cheerfully accompanied me to Don and Anna's Greenhouses, 

as I mentioned in my last post, 

and where I tried very hard not to be overly indulgent,

 but came home with three boxes of tender plants, 

besides Callie's rosebush.....

  Lots of white and purple alyssum and a few pots of marigolds,

 some evening scented stock, 

a bit of blue flax 

and that other plant (whose name escapes me right now)

 that is small and borderlike and has the most brilliant tiny blue flowers.

  Oh, and some zinnias!  All different colours. 

 Some lemon balm, and a few daisylike  plants 

for the big green pot that sits out the back.

I didn't get any geraniums

and there were no nicotiana plants available

but I bought some seed

in hopes that I can plant a pot to put beside

the back patio swing

to scent the night air.

May continues to be the fairest of months...

still sunny, warm and breezy

and lots of birds around...

It's hard to stay

indoors....

what with the scent of the blossoms

and the tenderness of the new green leaves

May 1st, 2020

The first day to begin this lovely month

and despite the fact that I forgot

to pay homage to the White Rabbit

it was really quite beautiful today

The sun shone, and although the wind blew

it was a nice summery breeze as Bruce and I

and my Walker toddled around the garden

this morning,

inspecting the tulips, and how the Iris was progressing,

and sat out and watched the robins and the white crowned

sparrow, this afternoon.

And picked some RHUBARB!!!!

a few tender stalks simmered  lightly

with honey.....delicious! Very Spring-like.

The tulips are in their glory..

and the lilac bush about to burst into bloom

and that utterly sweet and familiar scent

Up in the orchards the apples are on the verge of blooming

and I just might get to see them tomorrow as our youngest son

has offered to take me to the plant nursery to buy

a rose bush to grace Callie's grave,

and maybe a pot of flowers to hang

on the verandah....

This will probably be the first time I have been off the property

for about three months, being ancient

and also contained by the rules of the pandemic...

I am eternally grateful that even before we were married

we decided we would have six children...

and they are all such a blessing and such a help

at doing shopping and attending to other such matters!!!

Speaking of Charles (who is always in my heart)

it is seventy-five years today since he disembarked

from the Queen Mary in New York,

on his way home from service overseas.

We were married on the 12th of May, and

that helps to make the month especially dear to me!

A little post script...

by Sara Teasdale

"a delicate fabric of bird song
floats in the air,
the smell of wet wild earth
Is everywhere.
Red small leaves of the maple
Are clenched like a hand,
Like girls at their first communion
The pear trees stand.
Oh, I must pass nothing by
Without loving it much,
The raindrops with my lips,
The grass with my touch;
For how can I be sure
I shall see again
The world on the first of May
Shining after the rain."

I have some poppy seed my sister gave me.

They are very old --

she has since past on through the golden gate

to whatever awaits us on the other side,

but she gave me a bottle of poppy seeds

close to twenty years ago, when we lived on 10th,

and I scattered most of them randomly

in the garden we had then

and all summer long they danced and flirted

with their fancy scarlet gowns,

and brought us great pleasure.

While delving into the medicine cabinet this morning,

away up on the top shelf I found the remainder

of the poppy seeds, in the same dark jar she had given me.

I have a patch of poppies in the side garden...

I noticed yesterday that it was growing by leaps and bounds

and had made room around its feet 

for a lovely bunch of blooming violets.

A pretty picture!

That garden is over-run with violets, and not the blooming kind

but instead the wild violet plants that dig in anywhere they can,

and send runners out spread through the peonies and the iris.

A real pain, and unfortunately I am not as nimble

as I once was, and find it hard to squat, or kneel,

and even harder to eventually get up and toddle off to a garden bench

to rest!!

When Charles and I were in France and visited his brother's graves

the fields of Flanders were lined with poppies

And some time ago I ran across this picture

of a Lancaster, flying over a field of poppies,

which somehow seemed so appropriate

for my Lancaster pilot husband, paying tribute to his brothers.

      cc....

But I digress from the dark jar and the seeds that have been waiting

so many years to prove themselves as summer beauties.

I knew just where to put them, - a little patch under a birdcage on a pole,

right beside the old tin garden shed!

And that's where they are scattered, and hopefully will respond

to the sunshine and the rain and the warmth

and I will have something lovely. reminding me of my sister

whenever I go by!

April 20th, 2020

Then and Now

and the art of making home made bread

There was a time in my life,

when the family were all home

and veritably voracious

when it came to home made bread....

The voraciousness was apparent

when the bread drawer was empty

so it fell upon me.

the mother, and the source of all food

to see that the drawer

contained the necessities of life....

chocolate cake and home made bread!!!!

At that time, when I was young and vital

and the routines of life were a "piece of cake"

or a "loaf of bread"

there was no problem in following the routine

and setting the bread to rise

was just part of getting breakfast!

When I was twenty-five, or so

a kindly neighborhood friend taught me to make bread!

For the next twenty years I never looked back.

The loaves were lofty and delicious.

I made four at a time, probably every other day....

but then the children all went their various ways

and homemade bread was a treat for both Charles and I,

but not to be indulged in on a regular basis!!!

Eventually I probably gave it up all together

except for Christmas and Easter specialties

and in answer to earnest requests!

I put away the big round metal bowl that housed the dough

and just used it for Halloween candy treats,

or Christmas fruit cakes.

Until this morning when a variety of reasons

caused  me to to forget that I was 95 and past the age

of making homemade bread

One of the reasons has to do with the present circumstances

that make going to the store

a major production, what with Pandemics and what not!

Anyway, I searched my memory, and

eventually was forced to find the old Purity Flour

cookbook to reinforce the amount of salt,

and yeast, and the number of cups of flour.

A major production instead of the regular

routine that just got squeezed into the morning.

I am pleased to say that the outcome

was two loaves of "not-so-lofty" bread,

but acceptable....

All this despite the fact that after

I had slipped the pans into the oven

I went and collapsed in the big easy chair

and only woke up from the short recovery nap

half an hour later!

I sprang to my feet (as much as an elderly lady of 95 SPRINGS)

but I was just in time.....

The loaves were fragrant, and although

not so high and lofty, they would fit in nicely in the breadbox.

Just another of life's little accomplishments, still available!!!!

As far as 420 day I have nothing to contribute......

April 17th, 2020

Alas, alas - nothing done today

nothing of any consequence, anyway!

I sat around reading mail and looking for pictures

to send to my niece in Washington

while my DIL who so kindly does handy things

with my vacuum cleaner

made the floors shine and the rugs became crumbless.

I found a few pictures of cousins

and cousins' offspring

and sent them off with the promise

to keep "pictures" in mind when family

comes once again to visit.

This evening I have been looking through seed catalogues,

anticipating a little planting spree when my order

finally arrives - they are saying 40 days until shipment!!

Well, that will be the end of May and the soil will be warm

and welcoming, especially for the nicotiana and

the evening scented stock, both of which I imagine, warmly,

scenting the summer evenings!!

The evening scented stock is a humble

flower during the day,

but in the evening the scent is glorious

and so full of memories of the my grandmother's

small garden.

I give a passing glance at the pea seeds

and the green onions

but it seems that I have reached the age

where it is required that I feed the soul

rather than the body!

I have rejoiced in a vegetable garden,

and he who tended it....

but now I rely on the local

Fruit stands or Farmers' Markets

for fresh summer veggies.

and have fond memories of the years

when I could garden passionately!!

Well, that was today....

Tomorrow I am going to wind that

intriguing towel warp!!!

My sore back willing............

Wednesday, April 14th, 2020

Most of the day I spent at the loom.

The wind was brisk and chilly this morning, so inside seemed a good place to be,  

but about tea time the sun had come out and the wind had gone into hiding,

 so I contemplated taking a cuppa out to the back patio,

 and giving Bruce the chance to have a little run around the garden.

All was warm and well, - enjoyed my tea, and the birds.

  A robin, a couple of goldfinches and a bevy of chickadees.

  I had my walker close by, so thought about taking a small stroll 

around the garden to see how the peonies and iris were doing, 

and if any of the lilies had pushed their stubby leaves through the ground.

Down at the bottom of the garden, 

in the raised bed,

 there is a lovely clump of deep purple and pink hellebores, -

 I have been keeping a small cut glass case filled with these blooms,

 close to the Beloved's picture,

 and thought to clip a couple of the blooms to refresh this small bouquet.

Off we went, - me and my walker and Bruce, who was still out keeping me company.

I set my walker beside me, leaned over and snipped off a stem 

with a number of blooms on it, - lovely!!

Evidently not paying enough attention to what I was doing,

 I leaned a little closer to the plant, and lost my balance.

Oh dear, oh dear, - nothing broken,

 but there I was, on the cement apron that leads to the garage, 

with a few spots that were hurting quite sharply. 

 I looked around, - ashamed to say that I was glad 

nobody was around to see me embarassing myself!!!  Ego!!!!!

I pushed myself up and limped into the house, -

only to find that the telephone was ringing.

 and on the other end was a kind and comforting male voice, who said,

 "Oh Mrs. Finch - you have just fallen.

Are you alright.?"

Well, of course, - I had my Lifeline on

 (which I try to remember every morning when I get up) 

 and though I thought nobody knew

 I had put myself in this sprawling position,

I soon found out that all sorts of people knew!!!  

As I reassured the Lifeline man I heard my daughter come up the hallway, - 

as one of the respondents she had also been phoned!!! 

 And my large and third son was at the door, -

 of course they had phoned him too!!

I am extremely grateful for the competency of the Lifeline People,

 and without hesitation would recommend 

that anybody who is ancient and lives alone

 should indulge themselves with this safety device.

When everyone had gone, -

reassured that their old Mother was O.K.,

 I put the Hellebores into the glass vase,

 and had a whispered talk with the Beloved 

as to what had just happened,

 and that I hoped he appreciated the flowers

 that keep him company,

 and the one who fell down, picking them for him

 and for Love

I shall look for bruises

and find the little jar of Apeaz salve

before I go to bed!

April 13th, 2020

The days are sunny

but the wind persists in its chilly ways

and I am dissuaded from

taking Bruce and the mobile cart

out for a spin.

Just down the lane.

Eyes are rolled and hands go up in the air

when I suggest 

I might go over  town!!!

Perhaps with good cause...

we are still keeping our distance

even (or especially) from those we'd like to hug!

So today I started to wind a warp....

a magic grey cotton that seems to shimmer

and a natural soft shade of white.

I have a delicious cone of white boucle, for weft

that I think would make wonderfully absorbent towels. 

I am getting a little ahead of myself

as both looms are still dressed.

The bamboo and silk on the LeClerc

remind me that Easter is past

and it's time to get back to work...

and on the Glimakra I am playing,

and I don't know what the end result will be.

Colourful, if nothing else!!

Today I put that wonderful DVD I have

"Two Cellos" with Hauser and Sulic

and I played it a second time while I made cookies.

My daughter brought me turkey and dressing

and my DIL a lovely plate of ham and corn

and scalloped potatoes...

So I am quite stuffed, and hoping that by bedtime

I might have time for the  pumpkin pie and cream!

But perhaps I should leave that until tomorrow, -

age is inclined to leave the stomach a little delicate

if one overstuffs at bedtime!!!

And speaking of bed and treats

here is the little dog, "Bruce" telling me that

it is time to go out for his bedtime rendezvous

with whatever cats might be around,

and a couple of bits and pieces before he settles for the night.

He misses Callie,

as I do, too!

Tomorrow perhaps the west wind will have abated somewhat

and we might be able to dig and scratch around

in the garden!

April 11th, 2020

Sitting out on the back bench

sipping tea

with a tad of brandy to help me recover

from making lemon pies

for Easter.....

when I caught sight of these

lovely deer, having an afternoon stroll.

As a matter of fact

there were half a dozen of them,

but these two were more attentive

and aware.

And in view of the camera....

I snapped a few pictures of the lovely

red stubs of peonies, that are growing

by leaps and bounds

and promise that they will be in full bloom

by Queen Victoria's birthday

on the 24th of May.

(this picture is from the back garden on 10th)

The apricots are in bloom.....

and the forsythia.......

the quince is pregnant with bud

and will grace the garden

with their prickly branches and their gorgeous colour...soon!

Helen Shideler

The daffodils are budding and blooming

This is an old picture from

the hill garden - alyssum is not here, alas.

but the little clumps here

are just as delightful.....

Just the other day I saw two very small woodpeckers..

smaller than the red headed woodpeckers

that sometimes visit here,

 lovely harbingers of spring!

Along with the Robins, of course.

I keep both doors open,

and the spring air wafts in and out

along the hallway.

Off in the distance there is a willow,

still with its glowing golden branches

before the leaves burst forth.

This is the first place I have lived in

since our marriage that doesn't have a tremendously

huge and wonderful willow,

although my daughter does nurse a curly willow

in her garden across the lane, -

one of the many that Charles rooted from a branch

of the curly willow we had in the hillside garden....

the others line the driveway leading to the house

where we lived,  and have grown tall

and willowy (what else) and make

a lovely entranceway.

 Here is the willow on 10th,

with a swing

and a grandchild!!!!

What a lovely life it's been -  and is!!!!

Old friends / dear friends

Tonight I had a lovely chat

with an old friend!

She wasn't an old friend when I first met her

at the McTavish Business College

where we were both preparing ourselves

for the business world

and secretarial duties.

Norma's family lived in Vermilion

so she was batching it in one room in Edmonton

while she attended college.

You know how it is when you meet someone

and immediately 

there is an affection and a realization

that this is a kindred spirit!!!

We were only close in companionship for a couple of dozen months

but it is a friendship that has lasted

since those long ago years we were both in our late teens

until now, - when we are both

well into our nineties.

The phone calls that put me in touch with her these days

bring back so many memories

of the times we spent together in those early years....

lunching together, haunting gift card shops

and china and linen stores.

hiking by the Saskatchewan River

with frying pan and pork chops

(as an aside, I was hiking with Norma when I met Charles and seduced him

with pork chops and fried potatoes and niblets)

Norma and I were both part of a group of girls

who regularly hosted dances for servicemen/

(where she met her future husband)

It is a friendship I treasure

and am so grateful for.

The oldest friend I have alive!

And the dearest one left......