Onward and Upward in the Garden...

More scraping and painting.  The two bedroom windows on the west side of the house have been completed and the screens cleaned and replaced.  There are more cactus and crushed stone, as well. And the screen door is installed!  It turned out so nice!  The porch will get its new coat of paint soon!

On to the garden (the garden?). Yes, the garden!  As the entire house and the garden will be featured during the tour, I need to start work out there now - the inside can wait but the plants need tending to keep them looking good - or at least mostly alive - for the next two months.

There was also a goodly amount of "junk" festering about the place.  You know, those scraps of wood that might be used for "something" and about six hose nozzles in questionable condition.  I found, as well, a lovely piece of travertine in the alley and, voila! it is now the top of my potting table.  Moved the rain gauge... There always seems to be something more to do.

My hope is that when all is said and done the garden will be more productive in addition to being beautiful.  It's so restful to work in the garden - rewarding, too, especially when we actually eat something delicious fresh from the soil.

I painted the back gate and we added also a wee little door for 'Clem to use - bottom right.  Can you see it?

There it is!  We leave it open for him and he just hops right on through.  I am always fearful of him tangling with all the cactus I planted along the fence - this way he can come through the gate and avoid the stickers.

My travertine-topped potting table.  Very nice.

 

The shell chair and gate painted to match the house.

Inspired by Chihuly. (Repetition of Form)

Miniature garden of succulents.

And so it goes...

Drum Roll, Please...

Don't faint but I've started painting, again.  This week I tackled the west gable - the hot side of the house.  And it was hot.  This gable is much larger than the gables on the garage and there is a pepper tree, lantana, and several cacti that make it difficult to maneuver the extension ladder.

I'm fortunate I'm not afraid of heights.  Climbing that ladder with a bucket in my hand was like the uber stair master!  Scraping, sanding and brushwork do nice things for arms (after they stop hurting, anyway!).  Lots of time to ponder while I'm up there, too.

I'll take it slow and go in stages so that I've completed one "area" entirely, before I move on.  The house may be two colors for yet a little while longer but I don't think it will be terribly obvious.  Not really.  The front of the house, facing north and being spared the relentless sun, looks nice still, and so it shall be last.  In all likelihood, the front gable the shutters and window boxes will wait until after Home Tour, as I don't want to cut away all the honeysuckle to get at them - they won't have adequate time to recover. I'll do the trim, though - for continuity.  And the front porch - after the security door is installed.

Tomorrow will be the windows on the west side and then I shall plant more cactus and rake the gravel and call it good!  The weather has been simply lovely and I am looking forward to more time outside.

The House of Belonging...

This is the bright home

in which I live,

this is where I ask

my friends to come,

this is where I want

to love all the things

it has taken me so long

to learn to love.

There is no house

like the house of belonging

~ David Whyte

It's Just Stuff...

Painting has stalled but in the interim, I've traveled to Idaho, California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah... and I've learned about myself, which is always a good thing.

Our charming little home was violated on my birthday. Windows smashed, drawers turned upside down, items were stolen, our sense of security was shaken. I was in California, so Steve was forced to deal with the mess - and he did so, beautifully, magnificently, calmly... he is my rock.

We decided to proceed with our travel plans and although the trespass lingered in my mind there was beauty and wonders, dear family and friends to enjoy along the way. But I returned changed.

Most of our belongings were recovered and I was relieved that irreplaceable treasures were secure (Jack's watch, my grandmother's bracelet, my mother's cameo...). The damage was minimal and so an intensive tidying put most everything to rights.

As I was returning our possessions to their rightful places (a place for everything...); however, I was struck by just how much "stuff" we have. Putting it all back took days. This is ridiculous.

What did the thieves think when they broke through that back window? A treasure trove or, more likely, what a bunch of worthless junk. There truly isn't much worth pawning in our house. What they thought was worthy could be hauled away in a couple of pillow cases: a DVD player, some screw drivers, chisels, and my garden shears. Animated movies. Some of my jewelry. The old pickle jar of loose change that Steve kept on the dresser top. My Toshiba laptop that still runs Windows 2000. My bike (okay, the green beach cruiser is cool). But it's just stuff.

My real treasures can never be stolen: My loving family. My wonderful neighbors and friends who helped clean up the mess, put plywood over the windows, checked on the house while we were away. My beloved kitty. The love and support of the people that matter most.

I still have my stuff. I still enjoy my stuff. But my relationship to my stuff has been altered. Now, I need to take time to show the people in my life that they are more important than my stuff.

My mom made that cute little wreath. The painted plywood covers the former window. We might just leave it that way. Who knows?

It's a Duvet...

... From LL Bean. As Dad would say, it's like sleeping under a giant pillow! The afghan that Denise made me looks great with the colors in the duvet cover and pillow shams. Little Mother, those are the Manzanita branches we hacked down from your yard. Cool, eh?

Detours...

It was Robert Burns who wrote, "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley." And so goes my painting this summer. Although the house is half-clothed in a coat of color both old and new, my time of personal discovery has remained. It's form is different. Less pondering of brushing and scraping and a little bit more travel than previously anticipated. Travel and work, both of which for I am grateful.


We're in the middle of July and the temperatures are soaring. I don't mind the postponement. Now that I am home for a spell, I imagine I will garden a bit more, indulge 'Clem, and enjoy the cool tile floor on my bare feet. The heat dulls me but the monsoon is upon us. I'll defer now to John Steinbeck and let the trip take me.

Plans and Progress...

... or lack, thereof.

Next on the agenda is the gable and windows on the east side of the house. I have yet another delay, however. In lieu of painting I shall be in the field for several days working. It is a hurry up and wait sort of project. I had known for several weeks that this was a possibility and then yesterday (Tuesday), I got the word: can I be there Thursday (tomorrow)? Yes. I can. And I will be.

And so the scrapers and sandpaper, brushes and paint shall remain in their cupboard until I return.

In the meantime, rather than start a phase I knew I couldn't finish, I spent time on the vegetable garden. It seems that all I have to do is let it slip out of my mind for only a day or two and it bolts. This artichoke was "almost" ready to eat and in the blink of an eye, it's too late. It is going to flower and soon will go to seed. That's okay as I think it is a beautiful thing.

Bulk trash pick-up was today so I spent a bit of time cleaning up the after the loader had done it's business. We'd stacked a pile of cuttings from the Mulberry for pick-up and they were taken away. I'd also trimmed back the cactus that were "encroaching" on the alley.

I try to find a point of balance: working on the painting project but also keeping up with the needs of the garden. As it gets hotter the vegetation demands more attention: some to stay alive and some, like the Bermuda grass, needs to be beaten back or it will take over everything.

Prickly Pear

Cholla and Globe Mallow

Baby cantaloupe from Mary!

I planted one of the cantaloupes in a raised bed in the vegetable garden and the other I planted in the front yard beneath the lemon tree. Hopefully, they will thrive and bear fruit!