There's Always Tomorrow

There was a light layer of snow on the ground this morning and the wind has been howling all day long.  It was just too cold to walk this morning!

Remember the Charles Dickens quote I shared recently?  Today was one of those March days when the wind blew cold....but it was most definitely NOT summer in the light. 

It was winter everywhere today!

There are a couple things that I really want to share....but writing those posts will take some thought and attention....and I just don't have that in me tonight. Maybe it's the cold and wind....I'm ready to crawl into bed.

But even still....there's always joy! 

I spent some time with Margie this morning and we're working on a little project together. Nothing brings me more joy than helping her with whatever she's got going on.

And I was tickled to see her little cutout pile growing....

....and I adored this childhood photo we came across in one of her boxes.

The rest of the stuff that's in my head can wait. There's always tomorrow....or the next day...or the one after that!  

"Joy Comes Back"

This poem by Donna Ashworth came across my Instagram feed...it's just what I needed to hear on this busy....mostly out and about day.  It was in the quiet in between moments of the day....where I really noticed joy coming back.

I noticed it as I looked closely at a snowdrop from my garden.

And I felt it when this modest little Easter display on my kitchen window sill welcomed that simple little snowdrop.

Joy always come back if you're a gracious host!  

Tuesday at the Table

I look forward to my neighbor's crocus patch every year....I'll be keeping an eye on them.

The vernal equinox was at 11:06 this afternoon so....it's officially spring! 

I had another fabulous afternoon with Ida and Sally.

I'll share more over the next few days....but tonight I'm putting my feet up and vegging in front of the TV.  I'm tired....but it's the best kind of tired!  I love teaching and sharing my stash.  

Tuesday at the table was a big success!  

Really Big Bowl

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."  Albert Einstein

It looks like spring out the window....but with the wind it still feels a bit like winter.  This frosty straw caught my eye this morning....

....and these sticks caught Paul's eye. He was quite taken with the sand imprint of the sticks just a few inches away.  How in the world did that happen so perfectly? And how did the sticks get moved...so perfectly?

I'm going with that miracle thing on both!

Jim was back....and our cherished pew table is about a sturdy as it can get.  Just in time for another art class with Sally and Ida tomorrow....which I'm calling Tuesday at the Table.  I'm pretty excited to be teaching again...and sharing my stash!  More on that to come

I couldn't be more pleased with all the things Jim has done for us and I'm scheming up a few more.

Our precious butter bowl from Paul's grandmother is back on the table. I oiled it up today bringing out the the lustre of the wood. 

Back in the day....once the butter was churned it would be transferred to the butter bowl to be salted and pressed before storing.  These bowls were one of the most useful tools in an early American home.

Now it's a cherished addition to our home....  and when I need a really big bowl...I have one!

And I needed a really big ball for Paul's baseballs under the coffee table in Lexington. 

I have a thing for bowls.....all kinds of bowls....even little ones.

Firsts

In honor of St. Patrick's Day....I'm celebrating clover.  

I wrote a post about the benefits of clover in your lawn....and if you're interested you can read it here: 

https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2020/06/embracing-clover.html

In addition to the iris....we spotted the first snowdrops on our walk yesterday....

...then I found them budding in my garden too.  It's such a treat to watch nature wake back up after winter....and it's just barely getting started!  

It's time to get Max's first birthday box in the mail to Madison....so I stitched his star card onto some watercolor paper and made a little stand.

Simple was the way to go.  

Twinkle twinkle little star!

Happy Birthday to Max....my Goddaughter Emily's son.  I'm known as Aunt MaryAnn to him....and his first birthday is a week from today!

Color!

It was foggy this morning....and things look a little other wordly in the fog. 

These hazy reflections are just as beautiful as the crystal clear ones.

And we found a pop of spring color.....

such a nice contrast to the still very brown landscape.

This photo is a little blurry....but the water droplets were incredible!

And Paul picked up a fabulous found object....

I couldn't 💕 it more!

And speaking of color....

this is a spread I've been working on in my watercolor journal.  Watercoloring in the evening is a good way to wind down the day. 

The lines are a little wonky...and I've got some smudges....but the more detail and layers of color I add...the better it looks.

NOW

"Enjoy the space between where you are and where you're going." unknown

I may have posted this quote before....but since it showed up on my social media feed today....it seemed timely after yesterday's post about spaciousness.  Still thinking about that by the way.

The space between is actually NOW....and NOW is what we should be focused on and enjoying!  Dinner and cards with Jay and Janice tonight....so NOW is looking pretty darn good!

It's good when we have company....

it pushes me to dust...and spruce things up. And this time I get to show off my balls for the first time!

I spent several hours over the past few days working on a set of summer matches for Folly 101.  This mindfully mindless project has three phases:  cutting, folding and gluing...and I can do it while I watch TV or listen to a podcast.  Win win!

I think most of these might end up in little hostess gift bags with a candle and a package of napkins for the various color displays around the store.  We'll see.  

Astrid ordered 300 Christmas matches....and it's never too early to get started!   

It's always a treat to walk into this beautiful store to make my delivery. It's different every time and I love to soak in all the colors and textures. It's a feast for the eyes!

If my home wasn't already fully furnished....I would be trading matches for merchandise....which I have done in the past.

Here's a little tour from their Instagram page.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C321Mmarvfs/

Spaciousness

There was something about these bare stubby trees with the sunrise in the background that caught my eye this morning.  We do love the morning light.

Another post on LeeAnn Renninger's Instagram page was about spaciousness. 

We mostly think of spaciousness in reference to a physical space....but she talked about it in relationship to the Japanese practice of Yutori which is a sense of well being that arises by living in spaciousness.  I think it's exactly what I do when I pause to look at something closely....or stop and enjoy the shadows on my dining room wall.  It's giving moments time and space to really appreciate them....and I love thinking about it as spaciousness.

    LeeAnn's shared that spaciousness is

    Taking the time to pause gently during a conversation.

    Arrive early enough somewhere so there is no rush so you can look around and        take things in.

    Being spacious is a very special skill and people immediately know when they are     in the presence of someone who is cultivating it.  

I LOVE the concept....and I'm going to foster it even more in my own life.

Whether it was by accident....or as result of thinking about spaciousness.....I added more alcohol orbs to this page in my watercolor journal....but this time in a physical spacious kind of way.  The page seems to have some breathing room now and I like it.....now is just needs a spacious companion page.

Those larger rings in the bottom right are created by dipping an end of a glue stick into the alcohol and pressing it into the wet watercolor.  More unpredictable magic!

Ordinary Morning

The morning shadows were an unexpected but welcome bonus of hanging the balls in the window.

I've always appreciated the striped shadows from the blinds....but now I have stripes AND balls in the morning! 

And after so much wind lately Paul and I were quite taken with the absolute calm of the pond this morning....the reflections were stunning. 

The intensity of the reflection of the low pine branch was just so striking...we knew it was flat...but it looked dimensional.  

  

There's a lot I just scroll past on my social media feed in the morning....it's just not possible to look at everything. But I was drawn in by the title of this poem and was quite taken with the premise.  It came from LeeAnn Renninger's Instagram feed.

The Patience of Ordinary Things 
by Pat Schneider

How interesting it was to think about my things having human emotions.  The idea that they are waiting patiently for my attention. To be tended to...or worn...or played with....or moved on to someone who might appreciate them more. 

And Pat was spot on....what IS more generous than a window?  What a wonderful notion. 

This got me thinking about another appropriation poem (Thank you Dotty) using the framework of Pat's The Patience of Ordinary Things.  I found her poem in the middle of my morning computer ritual....so that's what I decided to celebrate. It probably need more editing....but it's time to post...so here it is!

The Joy of an Ordinary Morning
by MaryAnn Shupe

It's a joy thing, is it not?

How the smell of the coffee brewing

Dances in the air

Adding to the anticipation.

How my favorite mug 

Is waiting in the cupboard

Ready to warm my hands 

On a chilly morning.

How the couch welcomes me 

To settle in after our walk... 

And after I've fed the bluebirds 

That are such a joy to watch.

My morning routine is calling me...

A ritual that is as simple and inspiring

As it is informative and engaging.

But then is willing to step aside 

As I lean into whatever comes next.

I don't need much more most days

Than the joy of an ordinary morning.

Do you think the balls are tickled to be putting on such a delightful show?

Unpredictable Magic

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade." Charles Dickens

Yes....today was one of those March days. The sky was blue and the sun was warm ....but the wind was wicked! 

I thought the sycamore tree in our side yard was especially striking today as it stood still bare from the winter but it also seemed to be soaking in the warmth of the sun on this beautiful...but blustery March day.

I continue to do some painting for the Watercolor for Relaxation class. The class is winding down in a week or so....but my exploration and play is only just beginning.  

One of the most recent lessons was about using various ingredients and methods to give our flat wash watercolor more texture.....and I've been playing with alcohol.  

I know I've used salt and saran wrap to create texture....but I'm not sure I've ever used alcohol.  It's kind of magical.

As I was playing around the drops of alcohol seemed to behave differently every time.....

...and I'm trying to figure out what the right formula is to have it bloom so beautifully sometimes.

But then again....maybe the the joy is found in the unpredictable magic of the mystery. I'm just going to keep playing and fill the page and let the mystery be.

Making It Work

Jim the handyman was back today to do a few more things...and I enjoyed hanging around watching him work.  One more visit and our current todo list will be caught up.  

Making our condo feel like a home is pretty important to me....and I spend a lot of time and creative energy on things like arranging shelves and hanging balls. It's all part of my joyful puttering...so I can't help but share it here. So today you're going to get some house stuff.....carry on if it's not your thing!

Paul and I have been pretty lucky finding things for free along the roadside....and then making them work. There are lots of stories of our finds....one of my favorites is about our coffee table.  Consider yourself warned if you link....it's a LONG story: https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2021/04/no-1123-12-d.html

We've had one bookshelf in the living room that we picked up for free. It's not very deep so not all that stable...but we've made it work for years.  At the time I just spruced it up with some white paint and it's been just fine....but I always thought it could be improved.  It was just a white box.

So one of the things I had Jim do was cut a top for it...and make a bit of a base so it would be up off the floor...and a little more stable.   

The bookshelf is found...and the boards are old and repurposed and full of character....and it's so much better than building or buying something new.  

 

I love it when there is someone in the condo helping us with house stuff....and making it work!

Jim is also going to help us shore up up our dining table....which is repurposed from an old pew from Paul's first church here in Falmouth.  It's sentimental story and I've written about it many times.  

But if you want to read the story and see why my name is carved in the corner you can read this post: https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2017/01/a-pew-story.html

We have these fabulous hickory chairs from Paul's grandparents and we absolutely love them. Not using them is not an option. Trouble is the arms wouldn't fit under the table because of the skirt so we've had the table up on blocks since we moved in 3 years ago.  Not using the table is not an option either.

We got a few estimates for having a new base built....but in the end decided to just make it work.

I found these little wooden pumpkin boxes (they came with little lids) in an online wood store. 

I painted them to match the table base and Jim installed them (upside down) today.  

And other than the table being a bit higher than is ideal....

I think it looks pretty darn good. No more blocks....and it only took three years!  

 

Jim assessed the underside of the table to see how he can make it more sturdy. It was so interesting to see all the different versions of the wood reminding us how much work Paul had to do to get the top stripped and looking good.  

Paul took the pew apart and built it himself over 20 years ago....but he's glad we've got a professional helping now to shore it up.  

It's made from three wide pine boards that were the three parts of the pew: the seat, back, and kickboard. Just the boards on the underside of the seat were raw...the rest had been painted many many times over the years.  The pews were original to the church which was built in 1811....so we estimate that the tree originated at least 300 years ago.

And we're making it work today!