Little Things

This is the time of year the woodland floor is scattered with tiny white wildflowers. I've been watching them for weeks...and there are hundreds of them.

They are such sweet little things....Canada Mayflower and starflower.

 The sarsaparilla is just getting started...and you have to watch closely or you miss these fabulous bloom balls because they're tucked underneath the foliage. As I looked at one stem closer today....maybe they're already going by....?  

 

I found this image online....they are so hard to photograph.

Paul and I watched these sweet little ducklings 

swim off into the pond this morning. 

I came across this continuous line drawing I did for a class.  At the time I resized it and made some copies...and today I did a little coloring.

Little...being the operative word here. 

Just a little something creative...brings me joy.

Here are some of my other continuous line drawings from that class.

Birds and Blooms

At some point I'll get back in the studio....but for now I'm finishing up Condo Board chores and duties...and continuing to focus on all things spring.  I did put my orange Rainbow Connection card in the mail to Tracie yesterday....and I can't wait to see what everyone came up with.  I had fun with mine...and will share what I did once I know Tracie has gotten it.

We've stayed cool at night...so the rain lilies and annuals come out during the day and in at night as they harden off and get used to the sun and wind.  It looks like Saturday we will finally have a turning point when it will be in the 50's overnight so I can finish planting and filling my pots.

I love walking the yards and neighborhoods this time of year....there's always something new to see.  

We have a couple of small lilac bushes in the side yard....and they are nearly at peak.  I walk by as often as I can and soak in the color and the smell.  

We've had an unusual visitor for the last couple days.  Mr. Tom Turkey seems to wander through during happy hour poking around the birdfeeder looking for a stray snack.  He doesn't stay long....but I'm not sure I want him or his friends and family around on a regular basis. He is a bit entertaining....and such a contrast to the small songbirds.  The bluebirds, however, are always welcome.

Showing Up

I'm posting early today. Tonight is my last official meeting as a Board Member/secretary of our Condo Association. My term was three years....it's been interesting and worthwhile...and sometimes one of the most challenging things I've done in a while. But I will continue to show up....managing the website, serving on a few committees, and helping wherever I can. That's how places like this work best...people showing up. That's actually how most places....homes....and relationships work best....people showing up for one another!

We just had a couple inches of rain....and my garden is happy!

When Margie lived at her Independent Living facility she was in a writers group.  She's always been a thoughtful and clever writer...so this was the perfect opportunity for her to share her stories and her poems and verses. But because of her recent move...this could have been something that got left behind.  But today....Margie hosted four women from the group for coffee and conversation...and of course the chance to talk about their recent writing prompt. These women showed up for Margie today....and that means a lot...to her and to Paul and me.

I got up early to pick up pastries and Paul and I facilitated getting the party rolling. It always feels good to show up for Margie!

This was the finished puzzle on her board called "Stargazing." It's colorful and fun....and at some point it will show up on my table. 

Sticks and Balls

For every story that gets told or image that gets shared...there are dozens of other little moments and events going on in people's lives that we know nothing about. Let's be patient with one another.  Let's be kind...and generous....and show up as often as we can.

Tracie sent me this photo of the Jefferson Elm tree that was planted in Orton Park in Madison in honor of my sister Angie.  It's thriving...and I couldn't love it more. Thank you for your generosity Tracie! 

https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2021/04/they-planted-tree.html

Thank goodness for spring......there's always something to celebrate!

Paul and I came across this lovely patch of allium on our morning walk....or as we Paul calls them...sticks and balls.  He just calls it like he sees it...and the name has stuck....for years now.

I love watching the balls emerge from their little sheath....

or whatever that membrane is.

How can this not be celebrated.

My modest stick and ball patch at my last house in Lexington....

I wonder if they're blooming....or even still there!

Hardly Ever Happens

"Someone asked me how to live an extraordinary life & I said I had no idea because I always thought it was more interesting to live an ordinary life & not miss a second of it." Flying Edna

This was my Wordle puzzle from a couple days ago....getting it in just two tries hardly ever happens! 

Also...it hardly ever happens that one of the best found objects ever is right in my path.  I found this adorable little blue ballet slipper on our morning walk. There is just something about a tiny shoe that makes my heart melt. 

I have such fond memories of playing with Barbies growing up....and I loved all the precious little shoes!  

I also remember using a small amount of money I had to buy a pair of glittery plastic dress-up shoes from some little store in town.  I had been admiring them for a while...and I finally had enough money to buy them. The were, however, unwearable and ridiculous....but oh they were beautiful.  

Here are some my other "found" shoes from over the years.

  

My all time favorite!

And here's a couple other recently found objects.

I wonder if I will ever stop?

And back to the shoe theme...

here's a pink Converse I painted for a class a year ago.

Hummingbird's lunch

 I made my first trip to The Flower Box at Winslow Farm today....

and bought three of these adorable little plants called Cuphea Hummingbird's Lunch.  I have some garden space by the patio where I keep a feeder....but I've wanted to plant flowers that will attract the hummingbirds more naturally.  

I started my search at Winslow Farm.

I love everything about this place. I love the manageable size....the rural and picturesque setting...the variety and quality of the plants....and most importantly the friendly and knowledgeable staff.  And.....it's just a few miles away.  

My pile on the counter started to grow!

Most of my plants came from the greenhouse....where the hummingbirds

visit frequently for their all-day lunch.  That was a good sign.

I couldn't be happier with my box of goodies for the hummingbirds

and a few coral bell plants for me.

I'm excited about this salvia called "skyscraper dark purple." It's another one that should attract the hummingbirds and could grow up to 24 inches.  I also bought a blue salvia called Guaranitica...which I'm also told the hummingbirds like.  We'll see how it goes....I'll keep you posted.

Re-Discovering

I've been drawn to interesting and colorful images for as long as I can remember. I just can't help myself....when I see an image that speaks to me...I cut it out....take a screenshot....or pin it on a Pinterest board.

Margaret loves images too...and she sent me these photos a few days ago from a color collage project she did during lockdown.....they reminded her of the color cards we're doing for our Rainbow Connection art exchange.  

Margaret's collages reminded me of my pile of Discovery Journals I started back in 1996.  I collected images from magazine, catalogs....and other found papers and stickers that inspired me and glued them into sketchbooks. I grouped them by color...or theme and I didn't think of them as collage at the time...more as inspiration...or just a collection of images that I loved.  I wrote a post about them here called "Before There Was Pinterest."

https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2015/05/before-there-was-pinterest.html

I loved putting these book together....and because of Margaret's email....I'm going to re-discover them.  I'm going to go through every single one of them...page by page over the next week or so. Who knows....maybe my next big inspiration is in one of the 6 or 7 books.  

In that post back in 2015 I wrote:

I'm going to have fun re-discovering these images that bring me joy.

Thanks for the nudge Margaret!

Spring Blooms

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes, courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow." Mary A Radmacher

Spring blooms love the cooler weather.  I'm especially fond of this clump of mixed daffodils by the rock wall.

I especially love this dainty 

white one with the yellow center.  

We're expecting near frost temperatures tonight....

I hope these blooms survive.

I'm also quite fond of foam flower....I have it in a couple spots.

A little something for the kitchen window sill.

The Other Two

"Peace: It does not mean to be in a place where is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart." author unknown

I've been playing with orange for our Rainbow Connection exchange....but I just got photos of the other two red cards to share....both of them two sided.

Becky created a fabulous red bloom for Tracie...the petals are flower images cut from seed catalogs!  Very clever Becky.  The white pearl bead are a nice touch!

  

Tracie got help from her grandson Anders on her card for Brenda. Tracie often shares his art with us....and I especially adore his precious little trucks.  Do you notice the "red" in sign language in the truck? Also...Tracie used her very first ever gelli prints she made during a session with Brenda and Becky. Shared art at its best!

And trying to stick with my adding a rainbow everytime I post about this project.... here's a Strikingly Pleasing rainbow scene from our morning walk. It's a lovely home...and the rainbow peace flag and the red tulips caught my attention. I'm going to take notice of this property when the grasses and other plants are mature. 

And....my rainbow entry rug...still makes me smile. I wintered over these begonias....and have been hardening them off to go back into the garden. I'm pleased at how well they've done!