The last two mornings had a definite chill in the air. Fall is arriving! There’s even rain in the forecast. Much of my garden looks heat stressed, despite watering. This summer’s been extremely hot and dry for this area. Rain will be good, especially for […]
Don’t mind me! I’m the sipping, dipping, chirping adorable chickadee. Last night, I noticed this tiny chickadee sitting on the edge of the birdbath. I grabbed my phone, set the camera and slooooowly walked towards it. The chickadee did not appear to be […]
It’s late Friday afternoon here in Portland. The weather has been sunny and warm with a gentle breeze blowing at times. While strolling through the garden a few minutes ago, I spotted this busy bee collecting pollen in these Rose of Sharon blossoms. Bees, […]
The first time I met my then future in-laws, my then boyfriend and I had been invited to Sunday night dinner at their house. I don’t think I’d ever been this nervous before in my entire life!! First thing I did at the dinner table […]
Hurried, distracted. Tripped & slipped up, snap, crackle, pop … Ouch!! My aching back … Heat a deep, heavy pan, preferably cast-iron, over medium-high heat. Add enough toasted sesame oil to generously cover the bottom. When the oil is really hot add enough popcorn to […]
Poppies have always been a favorite flower of mine! Imagine my excitement when I noticed this bright patch of poppies growing in a field alongside the road in Jacksonville, Oregon. Lucky for me, there was also a spot where I could safely pull over and […]
Until this spring, I had only passed through Jacksonville once before. I don’t remember much of it, except that the town seemed to appear in the review mirror before I could blink. Add to this that it’s a bit out of the way from the […]
Big or small feet, warm or cold feet. Wait and see feet … Found the ones for you … Those who know me are familiar with my love for socks! Especially the fun ones!! On a recent […]
During the past few weeks, I’ve been spending a lot of time in my garden: weeding, planting, pruning, spreading new mulch and of course sitting on the deck in the evening. The rainy winter can be forgiven and forgotten since we have been rewarded with […]
Much of my time was spent in the yard this week. The cycle of life in the garden seems to be never ending. For every weed I pull out, another one seems to come up! Late one afternoon I came face to face with […]
And happy it turned out to be! After running a couple of errands late this morning, I stopped by my friend Marlene‘s house. We ate lunch, and then went outside to enjoy the beautiful day! Climbing up a few steps behind her house leads directly […]
The cloud formations, soft evening light and the picturesque South Umpqua River made for a romantic walk in Roseburg, Oregon last week. We spent the night there on our way to Southern Oregon. I’ve been stopping here for the last twelve years on my annual […]
Here’s to a happy weekend and a happy Mother’s Day! To me that also means celebrating all the special woman in our lives, who aren’t necessarily our own mothers. The women I admire the most is Rosalie. Her kindness, creativity, love of gardening and reading, patience, […]
Escaping the rut … A day of fun in the sun makes a happy heart … We spent a couple of days last week at our favorite beach to relax and unwind from all the daily stresses in life. The sun was shining, the winds […]
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you probably noticed that I love flowers! As I look out my window, I see the forest behind us: tall native big-leaf maples are leafing out, the wild apple tree has a few white blossoms left […]
Rain, rain go away … This could be the motto for the Portland area right now. It’s still coming down, but for some reason, today is going to be the only truly sunny day here in the immediate future. I’m planning on making the best of […]
Sun! You sure fooled me with signs of spring all around! Where’s my umbrella?
The sun finally came out yesterday, and it felt heavenly! I sat outside for a while soaking it all in. The atmosphere was buzzing with spring fever all around me. There were the usual birds visiting our yard in search of some seeds, a lone chipmunk […]
in cahoots with muddy boots 