A Post After the Elections

It's nice to be able to think about something other than politics (Go Blue Ripple!!) like the fact that Bob made this wonderful tile top table. It's got a great stable metal base with an attractive diamond pattern (maybe I'll photo that later) and these tiles were "found" down by Bob's studio. Amazing the stuff that turns up! I love the variation in blues among the tiles...

And you don't see items like this everyday! Our delightful and talented friend Roberta charmed me with an elaborate birthday package. This repurposed Osage orange (with a found alien hand!!!) announced my new magazine subscriptions (Remember that I use them in collage making). But that wasn't all: beneath the carefully wrapped orange was a lovely length of African cloth- perfect for upcoming project! and as if THAT wasn't enough, Roberta also bequeathed me a huge assortment of bulbs! Species tulips, scilla, daffodils, hybrid tulips... amazing! Any one of these gifts would have been more than generous but altogether, I'm overwhelmed! And really? It actually is nicer to receive gifts when least expected! Thank you Roberta!

And here's pastel upside down Robin to remind us that dogs enjoy getting mentioned, too! Robin's been very happy; I think she likes the colder weather, even if I don't. It makes her super frisky and nuts. She's been doing mad loops around the yard at like a million miles an hour. Craziness runs in the family.
I am trying to catch up with myself. It's hard to believe that it's almost Thanksgiving and the year is drawing to a close. So much has happened and continues to happen (and I'm not just thinking of politics!!! A decades worth of "incidents" in a day!) Remember that we experienced a tornado and we are still cleaning up from that. The tree guys are eagerly awaited to take down a whole bunch more dying spruces (the weather's been against them). I have a bunch more planting and yes! I have more studio ideas to implement. And don't get me started on the changes going on at work... anyone want to hire an artist? Actually, I have ideas in that department, too!

Happy Birthday to Me! (Warning: Contains graphic images)

Yeah, that kinda gross! My birthday week has been filled with stupid little accidents, mini-medical predicaments and lots of nice presents... and cake! The first thing that happened was Bob looked across the breakfast table at me and informed me that my eye was all red (an understatement). A broken blood vessel is to blame; I have been prone to these in the eye that I damaged. But this one was a bloody gusher and was awful enough that I called the Yale Eye Center. But they were less than impressed at my description and dismissed my concerns with a blase, "We really don't see people for those. It will go away on its own". And it is fading- finally- but I look like The Bride of Frankenstein and it's still enough to scare small children.

And then, as if to compliment the red theme of the week, I developed an heroic case of poison ivy (or oak) and broke out in itchy festering pustules. It really is nice when Nature conspires to make a physical wreck out of you for your birthday: it reinforces that underlying theme of mortality and the inevitable downward spiral to death and decay. Fun!
But despite these less than flattering additions to my 61 year old body, I really had a nice birthday week- and it's still continuing because friends are coming over on Tuesday to help celebrate. Family members gathered on Wednesday to shower me with delightful foods and wines and offer gifts in the form of clothing (to drape over the poison ivy) and smoky eye make up (to disguise that red eye) and fabulous plant material, in the form of two wonderful lilacs to add to my rapidly expanding shrub border and a variegated Physostegia virginiana to fill in one of the holes that has developed in the garden. (And contrary to the opinions of certain family members, I do NOT have too many plants and no where left to place them! I can easily think of at least ten specimens that I'd love to squeeze into my horticultural madhouse...) But where was I? Celebrating my birthday!
It's been a good birthday, despite the above afflictions and the intense heat. Bob and I had a nice, quiet birthday celebration, with more gifts and cake and sushi...
, which turned out to be a good thing as I needed all the rest I could get. When I returned to work on Friday, all hell was breaking loose because of the excitement provided by an estate sale as well as an auction. People were predictably rude and demanding- that's nothing new. But on Saturday, an elderly gentleman who is a regular (pain in the ass) showed up to do himself one better in the annoyance department. He became insulting and abusive after the prices on some books that he wanted to buy were higher than he liked. My supervisor advised me to call the police (fortunately located directly across the street) if he wouldn't leave. Believe it or not, he returned three times (!!!!) to harass and lambast us. He also stood in the parking lot and harangued my boss. I am happy to reoport that he didn't go home and get a gun and shoot us all, but it was a stressful day. Thank goodness that blasted sale is over!!

Happy Birthday to ME!!

It all began with my generous sister Beatrice and her partner John giving me this lovely spiky specimen of Yucca filamentosa... just what I'd planned when I organized this new bed last year. And they gave me this plant a good two weeks earlier than my birthday so we'd have it in place for the garden tour! That was extra thoughtful. (The small coleus to the right look really great with that yucca.)
Not to be outdone, however, Bob took me on a wonderful plant buying spree for my actual birthday. He did this for me last year and it was such a hit that he offered a repeat excursion this July 20th.
Here's what I selected:

Cryptomeria japonica "Black Dragon" as an evergreen choice. And, of course, I have just the spot for it. I've been complaining that come winter, it doesn't look like we have any garden as most of our plants were deciduous. I'm working on changing that! A detail, please:

Look at that cool bark! It really is reddish orange and very prickly. Nice!
And how about a Vitex agnus-castus "Abbeville Blue"? Isn't that a mouthful

This one gave me a problem when I tried to photograph it; it washed out and the flowers looked dull. In reality, the flowers are a lovely blu-ish violet and very stiff. Handsome! I saw this shrub last year and thought about it for twelve months... that's how obsessive I am!

And look at this! On the "reduced" cart! I had actually liked this last year, too, so getting it for less than half price is a treat. This is Abies pinsapo "Glauca" or Spanish Fir. He's got these splendid little checkered looking needles. Cool!
And not to be outdone, my sister Cathy gave me tow Carexes.

Such crazy texture. They look like Zsa Zsa Gabor wigs. Very different! And appreciated.
And then, as a sort of over the top gesture, Beatrice and John brought MORE plants. Remember those Home Depot rhododendrons that had me fretting about how I could make a forest? Well, look at this:

They got me five, and I had five so now I have... TEN! That's fabulous! I am so happy. I think that Beatrice thinks I'm nuts because she thought there was some mistake and we got our signals crossed. Make no mistake: I am well on my way to making that rhododendron forest!
And we also enjoyed a lovely Spanish wine and all kinds of food stuff. It was a wonderful birthday! Thank you to all!

A New Member of the Family

I seem to have a birthday that keeps on giving. My mother gave mea check for my birthday, and she'd be proud of all the things I managed to procure (on sale!!) with her generous gift. The two most wonderful were a door for my studio (yay! We have yet to install it, but it's here). And this delightful Dr. Suess-esque Blue Atlas Cedar. He has quite the personality!
I have always played with an area of the garden thta I call the Blue Border, in which I try to include only (or mostly) plants with blue foliage or blue flowers. This little guy will provide a good basic skeleton for the Blue Border. Bob keeps warning me that this tree will get BIG but I assume that's probably not anytime soon.
All in all, I received all kinds of great gifts- mostly plants but art making items as well!!- and I've been thoroughly enjoying them. Thanks to generous family and friends the garden and our place is stating to look almost resonable.