Peony Petals

Anita's peonies came to Maine with me and I've been enjoying them in the kitchen window.  They are just starting to drop petals and you know what that means....I'm going to collect them and watch them shrivel up.

I'm fascinated with the layers upon layers of ruffled blooms....each one is different. So pretty! Thanks Anita!

That's How Life Works

Blue Star...from my garden.

"The world falls apart constantly and it comes together just as constantly in new and surprising ways....because that's how life works. It may take some time to cone to this but the only real question is how will you delight in that." Brian Andreas

"Joy Lady"

The quote is from Susan Black's Instagram page...she's an artist I admire.

A new artist will be hanging their work in Dr. Adams' office tomorrow....and this time it will be the photographs of a young teenager.  I'm looking forward to checking it out.

Most of my pieces will be going to their new homes with the exception of few that will be coming back home. I am extremely pleased with all the positive feedback and how well my colorful JOY was received.  One woman referred to me as the "Joy Lady"....I'm OK with that! 

As a matter of fact Dr. Adams asked if I would come back in December.  Yikes!....I'm going to have to give that some thought.

Pops of Pink

"The soul exists and is built entirely out of attentiveness."  Mary Oliver

Anita sent me home with a bouquet of beautiful peonies....and on my walk home from her house I came across more pops of pink.

Life is Good

Life has been full and wonderful as of late. So many things have been happening at the same time... fitting together like an intricate puzzle. The only missing piece is time with Paul...but that will come. He's been working on a different puzzle. 

Once I help Margie get her place a little more settled I'll share some pictures. It's looking and feeling more and more like home and I know she's happy to have her things. 

I enjoyed time at the beach with my house guests, Sam and Megan, and am embracing the pops of pink in the garden.

Life is full....life is good.

The pop of pink peony is from Jane's garden...at the beach. The beach iris I posted yesterday was also from her garden.

Beach Iris

Moving Day

The long lost truck arrived this morning and Margie's camping days are over.  We made good progress today with the unpacking and we'll be back at it tomorrow. It was a picture perfect day today in Portland Maine....a good day for a moving day.



This morning I discovered that I have a birds nest in the stick wreath outside my front door.  I'm generally on top of this...stuffing these spaces with plastic bags during nesting season so this doesn't happen.  It may seem like a charming thing at first to have baby birds right outside your door....but I've learned from experience that once they hatch they make a really big mess. But...now that there are eggs I just have to go with it.

I held my camera up over and took a nest selfie. It's all still so sweet at this stage.  Robins?

On A Roll

My house guests spent the day in Boston....so I continued on my roll at home.  The weather is finally seasonably beautiful so it was time to clean the screen porch.  It's a big job and always is a little daunting to start....but it's done!  I've got the whole routine down to a science...the end result is always worth it.

We live on a busy road....so the black soot and dirt builds up over the winter and everything is covered.  All the furniture goes to the yard to be hosed down....including the rug. The whole interior including the screens get swept and dusted...I just hope pollen season is about done.

I love this indoor/outdoor rug.  It has held up for 8 years....and hoses down like a dream. It dries in just an hour or so hanging over my ladder.

Time to put my feet up. The roll is over....at least for today. 

Puttering Day

Today was a puttering day in and out of the house.  My nephew and his wife are flying in tonight from Wisconsin so it was time to do some long overdue cleaning inside and a little garden tending outside.  It feels good to tend to things.

No pictures of the clean bathrooms....but a few from the garden. This time of year my gardens are my art.

I wonder if people who have lots of daylilies deadhead every day. I have one plant....so it's pretty easy to keep up.  It's kind of a funny plant....one or two blooms at a time and only for a day. Then they quickly shrivel up and the next one opens. 

Do you see the daylily tucked in?

I have a wonderful large goats beard plant....and it's just about at its peak. It's kind of etherial....one of my favorites.

And this is one of the last blooms of this sweet lavender iris.

I can't remember what either one of these plants are....but they compliment each other nicely.

Good Timing

I wrote this post last night...but just realized I never pressed the "publish" button.  So here is it a day late....

Paul and I overlapped a day...he's now in Maine with his mom and I came back to Lexington. Per usual...one of the first things I did when I got home was walk the yard. A lot changes this time of the year in a week.

I timed it perfectly because my favorite yellow daylily was on it's first set of blooms....sweet little yellow trumpets...much smaller than traditional daylilies.

I've moved it to every house I've lived in and it's still going strong.  I will move at least a part of it to the condo at the end of the summer once I get my gardens established there.

I'll enjoy watching it a few days before I head back to Maine on Saturday night. Margie's things will finally arrive on Sunday morning. Yay!

"Looting Lupin!"

This instagram post from my friend Anne made my day....she called it "looting lupin." Yes....she's taking them home on her bike.

I love lupin season in Maine....I've seen beautiful patches along the road as I've been driving around. Sometimes you get a glimpse of a whole field....such a treat! My son Sam used to call them "Bluepin."

I took this picture a few years ago nearby in Cape Elizabeth.

Glimmer of Hope

Margie and I are still waiting....but there is a glimmer of hope for her belongings to arrive sometime this weekend.  So her indoor camping continues...and although it's getting a little old....she's being a good sport and hanging in there.

She lived in a development called "The Meadows" in Colorado and the place she is moving into is called "The Woods."  She thought it was funny that she was moving from the meadows to the woods.....and I just realized that she has actually been camping in the woods. 

I started tidying up my studio today after the big mess I made for the show. Once things have settled into a summer groove I'm looking forward to puttering and creating in this space again....certainly one of my happy places!





Yes....I have a ways to go getting it organized.... maybe it will always be organized chaos.

I just met my son Sam's new girlfriend tonight.  Phoebe is a talented artist and I think she's wonderful....mom approved!  I sent her home with the little jar of stars from my table....time to make more!

Colorful Queen

Like I said....some days you have to look a little harder to find a
little joy.  But what's not to love about a colorful queen that comes
across your Pinterst feed. She certainly knows what she likes.

Then I got curious and did a little Pinterest search and discovered that sometimes she's downright jazzy.  Yup....sometimes you have to look a little harder...but you can always find something.

      

    

"For Free Fairy Mix "

It was one of those joy filled...every day kind of magic days. Some days you have to pay attention and look for it...other days it's in front of you every time you turn around.

It started with a couple photos from Paul...he's in Lexington, I'm in Maine....both of us were where we needed to be. There were things that caught his eye as he was heading into work this morning and he knew I would enjoy them....the early morning light creating long shadows on the Lexington Green....and the large, almost glowing rhododendron blooms. 

I don't know what I love more...the photos...or the guy who sent them.  Thank you Paul!

I had a couple of good visits with Margie...one of which was helping her get settled in to watch her beloved Colorado Rockies on MLB T.V.  Technology is a wonderful thing for someone so far from home. She'll never be a Red Sox fan....and that's just fine. We like the Rockies too!

Just as I was coming home I ran into Jody, a new friend and neighbor heading out for a walk.  I joined her and it was a great chance to visit and catch up...and certainly good to be walking on such a beautiful day.


Near the end of the walk we stumbled upon a sweet little red table by the side of the road with plants, rocks, and a precious little sign.

This adorable little bundle was tied up with a stem...and free for the taking.  I gently carried one home curious about the contents....and it did not disappoint.  Inside was a variety of leaves, dried petals and an evergreen twig.  I just about melted.  What a special little "for free fairy mix!"  Thank you to the precious little hands who put this together adding to my joy-ful day!  

Patiently Waiting.

I repotted my rain lily bulbs a few weeks ago and I've been patiently waiting for signs of life. The first tiny hint of green appeared today so there's hope.

 This is a late season shot from last year.

The bulbs had been in the same pot since I got them from my sister LaVonn in 2015 and it was time for fresh soil.  The pot lived in the basement during the winters and outside during the summer.  They've become one of my favorite flowers.

I was surprised how big the bulbs had gotten and all the little baby bulbs that had grown and multiplied. I started with one pot....then I had five...one went home with Aaron the landscaper.

Last year's blooms.

We'll see how they do....I just have to be patient.

Margie is also patiently waiting.  Her things from Colorado were supposed to arrive today....but are delayed.  The driver had a family emergency so left the truck in Rhode Island and headed home. The company is looking for another driver to take over....and it will likely be into next week.

We're both patiently waiting.