Gardening is Joy

Like I said before, the gardens are making me happy and working in them and then harvesting their beauty makes me smile.  I like it, so I'm doing it.

First broccoli and zuchinni 7-28-11. 
Just in case you wondered how big they are.

So, no, they're not bigger than a bread box.

This was my vegetable garden on July 10th.

 A few short weeks later, July 28th, it is quite bountiful. 
There is no space in between plants, and that was by design.

 My co-worker gave me some Black-eye Susans transplants.
 I didn't dream they would bloom this year!
I guess they will infest the whole garden area by next year. 
I might rue the day I planted them here, but I always like to give some away.

I had really forgotten how much I love flowers and I love to have them in the house to brighen up any and every spot I can find.  I went to D.I. (Deseret Industries, Utah's Thrift Store) and purchased some vases for $1.00 or $1.50 each, so I can give flowers away with their vases. 

I love this cobalt colored vase. 

The black-eyes Susans are a beautiful contrast and they really pop.

Roses are still prolific and I always have a vase or two or three in the house...

Yes, the vases say 'Sunshine' and 'Happiness.'  I couldn't resist.

On my dining table.

 (I usually take roses to work, too)

...on the piano.

 A few of my friends asked me to post pictures of the inside of my house, so, while taking this picture of roses, I realized it covers from the kitchen bar, which separates off the kitchen, through to the family room doors to the back yard.  It's a small house, with a BIG kitchen, then modest dining 'area' and family room or living room area.

My TV is in the SE corner and my recliners are placed across from it in a V-shape. I recline and relax at the end of the day to crochet or watch TV, but I haven't watched too much TV lately.  I haven't figured out if I watch TV to crochet, or I crochet to watch TV.  Maybe both.  I just finished a project--zebra cocoon--to send to a friend, but I haven't really had an incentive lately to crochet.

There's a fireplace on the east wall.  I plan to paint the cut-out wall above it in a Country blue color, already purchased.  Maybe when the weather cools down a bit. 

My oak secretary is next.  It is against the only wall where it would fit, so it is there for life.  Catty-corner is the dining table, then across from that is my piano and it is on the only wall it can be as well.  I suppose I can now start hanging pictures, but for some reason, I hesitate.  Maybe the rooms are not arranged as well as I would like and my psyche is preventing me from taking hammer and nail to the walls.  I don't know.  Perhaps the walls are just so pristeen I don't want to incise them, only to have to move things around later.

I'm having company come in a few weeks and I will take a poll on my furniture placement.  I am not a good decorator and often need another opinion.

I love my little house.  I thank God every day that I am in a cute little place of my own, just big enough for me to take care of on my own.  There are lots of big and little repairs to make (new garage door next week, sidewalk leveling some time soon--and who knows if my kitchen faucet will ever get fixed), but I know, with the help of God, I will survive--and thrive!

Before and After

I've been taking pictures of my progress in the gardens outside.  I've done virtually nothing inside, but I'm in no hurry.  I've been enjoying the weather, esp. in May and June.  It was lovely and just right for working outside.
Before I moved in, I took pictures of the whole place, inside and out.  Here are some photos of the transformation.  I've been having fun.

4-3-11

7-10-11

While I was working in my yard one day, I realized...there were no trees on my property.  My neighbor thought that was odd.  She said the properties were supposed to each have two trees.
Well...at least I planted a little pear tree in the back yard.

planted a pear tree 5-30-11

I bought plants little by little.  I was discovering new varieties I had never seen before, like this little lilac bush that only grows 5 feet tall--and 5 feet wide.  It should be perfect for this spot.

5-30-11

Of course, I couldn't stop there.  I kept adding and adding things--annuals, perennials, seeds (that get eaten by these rather large snails.  They're HUGE!

7-10-11 

But I love how it's going.  I keep watching the climatis grow and it gets bigger every day, I think.

1-24-11--before I moved in, I took pictures of the place. It was all graffiti and paint gun.

This is the BEFORE picture.

One of the biggest tasks I had to do was scrub the, already ugly, cinder block walls.  Apparently, this is how they put up fences in Utah.  Well, it's maintenance free--unless some kids shoot paintballs all over it--and spray paint it.  Sandy and I went to the hardware store and got some chemical that took most of it off.  There is still some residue, but I'm hoping it will eventually be covered by flora.

So, this is AFTER.  It's still ugly, but at least I got most of the paint off.

This is the best I could do with the spray paint.

So, I decided to move the raspberries that were behind that redwood plank over to the end of the wall.  Sandy did that for me.  It was actually the only thing he did to help me, except carry the odd bag of mulch from the car.  I'm pretty proud of myself for doing this work.

 Then there was the matter of the vegetable garden.  I never would have put this near the house.  But since it's there, I decided I would have to plant some vegetables this year.  This is going to go next year, though.  I have plans to have perifery raised bed gardens (is that a word?)--around the boundaries.

1-24-11

This area will be a patio next year (fingers crossed)

5-17-11

I pulled AAALLLLL the weeds and laid down black plastic.  I didn't want to have to bother with weeding. 

The garden is coming along.  I've already had some little broccoli.  The raspberries are starting to come in, too, though few because they were moved.

back garden 7-10-11.
 I love the suns with the climatis growing on them.

I still have to paint the front door, but I'd like to replace it.  Maybe next year. 
For now I guess I'll have to touch it up.  It's ugly.

That's what I'm doing!

April in the Mountains (2011)



On Fort Union Blvd. crossing Wasatch Blvd.  It's a fault!!!

(This blog post was first written on April 30th but I had some problems with posting it.  Hopefully it will work out this time.)

On April 17th I went to church with Zannah and Nick because they were speaking at their ward.  After church I decided to take a ride up Fort Union Blvd., up the canyon.  It looked like the street went right through the mountains--and it did!

I decided I would stop along the way and take some photos, even though my camera's battery was dying.  There was snow on the mountains and I thought I might get close enough to it.  I heard there was still skiing going on, so there had to be snow up there. 
I didn't have much gas, so I couldn't go far.  It was just a little Sunday drive.

Oh, lovely...I just crossed a fault. Wonderful. There's a fault really close to my house.

This is just an inspiring picture I took along the way.

I finally found a mountain stream.  The water was very fast and furious.  I've been told there's going to be a lot of flooding when all the snow on the mountains finally melts.  I heard tell there is about 200 feet of snow on the mountains.      

And it just snowed again today! April 30th!  

Hyacinth in the snow. April 30, 2011.

That's Minnie in the lower left.  There was snow on the mountains and I wanted to find it.
Little did I know, there would be snow on the mountains until June!  Whenever it rains in the valley, it snows in the mountains.  I'm told this has been an unusual year with rainfall.

I was looking for snow along the riverbank.  I found it.  It was quite beautiful.

The whole ride was quite beautiful.
Along the way, as well as not having enough gas, the battery in my camera kept conking out.  I had to keep turning my camera off and on and off and on.  I was patient and I persisted.  It was so gorgeous, I wanted to remember it.

Precision

uh-oh...I was parked AND standing--and it was April 17th!

It was a very entertaining and educational trip.  I hope to do more of the same in the months ahead.

I'm So Happy

I've discovered things that make me happy.
One is having my son live here.  He's so even.  He has patience.  He doesn't get mad at me.  He made me dinner tonight.  He's so thoughtful and helpful.  He put together a little table for me for my patio and helped me put a file system together for my new desk.  He said he likes living here, too.  That must mean I'm not too bad either.
Two is having gardens of flowers and vegetables.  I used to garden incessantly, but it's been quite a few years.  Of course, it was always so hot and humid, I couldn't stand to be outside for any length of time as I got older.  Here in Utah, the climate suits me.  I wake up and go outside and I'm out there until the sun goes down.  And it makes me happy!  Truly happy!

My front walk. This photo was taken at 9:00 at night!!!  It stays light here very long.

Side walk to the front door.  June 2011

Three is the dance group I just started going to.  It's called Old Glory Vintage Dancers.  It's like clogging light. We do quadrilles and rounds and squares and country dances and I find myself just smiling the whole time because it's so much fun!  It makes me happy.

I don't have a costume--yet!  But I hope to be able to participate in some of their gigs in the future. 
I just started, but it's so me!
And it makes me happy to dance.
Another thing that makes me happy is teaching the Sunbeams in church on Sunday.  I didn't think I'd like it because I am secluded, it seems, but the kids like me and it's not hard.  I just have to have enough pages for them to color.  And they love the little story books I put together for them.  They make me read them over and over and they get to color them.  I am happy there.
I thank my Heavenly Father every morning and every night for all the many blessings he has bestowed upon me this year.  My house needs a lot of love and attention, but Rome wasn't built in a day, and I'm not going to have all the glitches out of my house overnight.  I keep telling myself it's a work in progress, but I love it!
Now that summer is here, officially, I love the sunshine that is ever present here in Utah.  I love sunshine.  It makes me happy. And I love seeing the mountains every day.
I pray the Lord will continue to shower me with His tender mercies.
I am so thankful for all my friends and family, near and far away.

The Invisible Mother

Thank you, Robin, for this lovely email post.  It's still Mother's Day in Utah, so I thought I would post it to my blog.

I do not know who wrote this, but I am ever grateful.

The Invisible Mother

It all began to make sense--the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?"

Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?"  I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."

Some days I'm a crystal ball; "Where's my other sock?, Where's my phone?, What's for dinner?"

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history, music and literature--but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. She had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when she turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this."  It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "With admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read--no, devour--the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: 1) No one can say who built the great cathedrals--we have no record of their names. 2) These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. 3) They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. 4) The passion of their building was fuelled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A story of legend in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees."

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was Almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does."

No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, no Cub Scout meeting, no last minute errand is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table."  That would mean I'd built a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, he'd say, "You're gonna love it there..."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible mothers.

Zannah and Nick just got back from their honeymoon and this evening they came over to open their wedding presents. Fun!  Nick's parents came, too.  They were really blessed, that's all I can say.  We all have wonderful friends and family who made the day festive and memorable.

That's me coming out of the temple just before the newlyweds

Zannah and Nick on the steps of the Salt Lake Temple

Zannah's purple shoes

This is the fam...and, yes, even Timmy made it into the picture.  James, Jewely, Susan holding Tim, Nick, Zannah, Zannah's dad, and Alex.  It was a lovely sunny, warm day.  Salt Lake Temple sealing, luncheon in the Joseph Smith Memorial building, reception at Noah's in South Jordan, where this picture was taken. (I have purple shoes, too...)

I think Zannah would have killed Nick if he got icing on her very beautiful dress...lol

...and they all lived happily ever after...

Two Peas in a Pod

These are Sarah Schoendorfer Huckstep’s twins, Hunter and Harper.
They are happily enveloped in a Pea Pod cocoon that I made.
Aren’t they just the most adorable little people you’ve ever seen?