Ginkgo Day

When Paul I lived in Lexington there was a large ginkgo tree in the front yard of the church parsonage which was our home. Unlike other deciduous trees the stems of ginkgo trees harden off at the same time so they almost always drop their yellow leaves all on one day after a hard frost. If you've been following for a while you will know I used celebrate Gingko Day every year....it was one of my favorite days.

We happen to know the couple that lives in the parsonage...and David and Adam celebrated too and sent us this photo. 

Today was Gingko Day!

These next photos are from the years we lived there...

sometimes the leaves were a yellow green....sometimes a golden yellow...sometimes lemon yellow.

I tried to make a gingko angel one year...it didn't really work.

I was always fascinated with the variety of shapes and sizes of the leaves.

Happy Ginkgo Day!

"Winter Tree"

Remember the limited pallett of papers that I talked about a week or so ago?  

http://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2022/09/limited-pallette.html

Following along with a class by Rebecca Sower, I made my own "Winter Tree" collage using this limited pallett.

https://www.rebeccasowerart.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/rebeccasower/ 

This is one of Rebecca's hand drawn birds she made available for the class.  

She also made a tree image available...but I used my own.

The winter tree I used was the large ginkgo tree that was in our yard in Lexington. I loved that tree....and I loved "ginkgo day"....when all the leaves fell in one day. Although the photo was very neutral when I started....I did print it with a filter that had some of the blue tones that bled into the image when I adhered it to the panel. I did use Rebecca's sealing technique....but it wasn't enough. This blue tone around the tree was not what I was going for....but it is what it is. Since there other tones of blue in the piece....I'm making peace with it.  It's also looks better person.

This is the original photo.

In all its glory!

What the yard looked like after the leaves fell.

Did I mention I loved ginkgo day?

All the sides have pieces of the painted papers. I enjoy Rebecca's teaching style...and her short easy to understand lessons gave me all kinds of tips for painting papers and collage. I'm excited to use more of these papers in my art....and of course I'm going to make more!

Gentle Reminders

Isn't it wonderful when on what seems like a hectic and busy day....you get gentle reminders that even on days like this....there's always joy.

My friend Dana posted on Instagram about her crazy morning getting her kids ready for school....and it made me chuckle.  She ended the post "sending love and strength for all the exhausting moments & praying we all are present enough to receive the joyful ones."  Just what I needed to hear.

When I got back to Lexington from Portland I found there was enough snow on the walk and around the garage to shovel. It was really cold and I wasn't looking forward to dealing with it.

But as I walked around the corner of the house....the view of the hazy winter sun framed by our large bare ginkgo made me stop in my tracks.  Suddenly the need to shovel seemed like a gift and I was present enough to receive the joy.

I also came home to heartfelt notes and cards from dear friends....got an uplifting text... and had a good pep talk on the phone....all reminding me how lucky I am to have such a loving support system.

Some days you have to look for joy....and other days it just falls in your lap when you need it most.

News From Home

I'm exactly where I need to be....but I do miss Paul...and I'm a little homesick....so it's good to get some news from home. I've gotten notes and updates from friends, a photo of fresh picked late garden flowers that made me feel like I got flowers myself, and even a recipe to try from a friend. Thank you!

This first photo is of last night's western sky.....perfect for Halloween I thought!

Paul sent this photo from the condo a few days ago...the tree on the left was still partially green last I saw it. By the time I see it again all the leaves will be down.

I'm so happy he's doing his homework and being my eyes as the season changes.  I love this layered view a little ways into our backyard woods.

Lexington got some heavy wet snow....and I got a text today from Joan this morning saying: "It's ginkgo day!" I love this shadow of Joan in the leaves.  Thank you Joan!

A ginkgo tree in her neighborhood dropped all its leaves today...and most of them were green.  Paul was due back at the house today so I wondered what was happening in our yard.

Sure enough....it was ginkgo day at our house too.  This is what Paul came home to this afternoon.  

Paul took this photo this past Monday.

This one was taken today. There are still some leaves on the tree....I think they're a little confused this year. 2020 has been that kind of year.

I'm on day 11....and am going to be here a little bit longer.  10 days is usually my limit on being away from home and I got to thinking that one of the only other times I've been away longer than 10 days was helping Angie 3 years ago when she had her initial injury that started her downward turn. She's totally worth it....but I'm grateful for the news and images from home.

Happy Ginkgo Day!

Ginkgo Puzzle

I got an early birthday box from my sister Nancy which included an assortment of yummy chocolate and what appeared to be a puzzle in a lovely box.  I'm intrigued with the puzzle....but also with the chilies and cherries and dark chocolate combo.

Turns out...it's a wooden puzzle she and Craig found when they were in Germany visiting family....and low and behold it's a ginkgo leaf!  How cool is that!  If anyone is new to the blog...I have quite a personal with ginkgo trees and everyone should know at this point how much I love puzzles.  

The pieces are tiny....and it's going to be a challenge....but fun to pick away at over time.  I did match up a few.   

There are many many posts on the blog about my ginkgo tree but here are a couple of links if you don't know my story. Ginkgo day is one of my favorite days of the year!

https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2018/11/ginkgo-day.html

https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-big-day.html

Day 11 of Another 100 Days.

Quiet Moments...

...simple joys.

There were a couple quiet moments yesterday that captured my heart and sharing them here is just what I have to do.

One of the stores Anita and I wandered into was Treehouse Toys on Exchange Street in Portland.  My son Sam worked there for several years during high school and college helping him to hang on to the kid that to this day remains in his heart.  I reaped the rewards of that job getting toys and trinkets he knew I would love always wrapped in the same colorful polka dotted wrapping paper.



I saved and used every inch of that paper cutting out the whimsical dots for various projects including a few on this little watercolor I did a few months ago.....

....and this 100 day index card. My supply was pretty much depleted.

But....I bought a little trinket for Sam's stocking while I was at the toy store and as I was checking out I noticed the same precious wrapping paper on a big roll behind the counter. 

I didn't need anything wrapped....but played my "Sam used to work here card" and asked for a little bit of paper for nostalgia's sake.  The clerk happily and generously obliged. 

I was a block away from the store when I thought to take this photo and texted it to Sam. We had a quiet little mom/son technology bonding moment...simple joy!

The "Art on the Hill" show is held in the cafeteria of the East End Community School along the Eastern Promenade of Portland.  There along the bright orang/yellow wall above one of the serving windows was a scruffy garland that caught my eye.

Much to my delight it was dried ginkgo leaves tied along a string.  A quiet moment....pure and simple joy!  

Afterglow

I'm still basking in the glow of ginkgo day....literally and figuratively. So today I'm celebrating the afterglow. I know, I know....a bit corny....I can't help myself.

Last night's dusky sky was a lovely backdrop to the yellow carpet.

The leaves are everywhere...covering surfaces and tucked into little nooks and crannies.  They just make me smile.

 I love the contrast of the yellows and the greens....and the yellows and red.

There are a few stragglers still hanging on....but it's mostly done for another year. Thank you for putting on such a great show Mr. ginkgo!

I've had people tell me that I should be grateful we have a male tree. Female ginkgo trees produce fruit that falls with the leaves that stinks like vomit. Somehow I'm not sure I'd be basking in the afterglow if it smelled like vomit.

Upstairs Tour

My son Sam humored me today and took some photos while I tried to make a ginkgo angel.  It didn't work....but it was fun trying.

There's a silly video here on Instagram.

Yep....I love ginkgo day!



As promised....here's a tour of the upstairs spaces at the condo.

My studio is usually a chaotic, colorful mess. And although some of you may think that it still is...you should have seen it a few weeks ago.  Little by little I've been moving most of craft supplies from Lexington and it's still very much a work in progress. When I have a full house of guests it doubles at a sleeping space so it needed some attention.  Not that long ago this twin bed was completely covered in fabric and miscellaneous this and that.

I will admit there was a fair amount of stacking and stashing....but there also was some actual organizing that happened too. While it was somewhat orderly I took a some photos.

I love sitting at my work table facing the window....

...but I'm also quite happy in this chair in the corner.  I have another perspective out the window and easy access to supplies. The space on the shelf is prime real estate for the chair....so at some point I need to rethink and reorganize.  

Part of winterizing the gardens is bringing in my massive rain lily pots.  I stop watering them, let the foliage die back then put them in the closet until spring.  You can see them tucked under my table.  

I have a large bulletin board on one wall where I pin ideas, inspiration and some of my favorite things.  The cutouts of bottles and bowls along the top are all from catalogs and magazines....I can't help but cut them out.

Paul made this shelf for me years ago and it works well here on my cutting table.  It holds some of my treasures giving me a colorful view when I'm working. It's where I'm displaying the bottle treasures from my sister Angie.

I enjoy these sweet little vessels from Jane sitting on my circles and squares experiment. 

And this little set of bowls is an image from the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine.  I love things all stacked up and they look cute sitting on the "grow your own way" greeting card I mounted on a paint panel. 

Right next door to the studio is a cheerful bedroom.  The yellow chair is command central for wrapping sticks and wheat.  The footstool is a work in progress....I found it on the side of the road 

and I'm going to upholster the top.