It’s All Fun and Games Until …

These are our cats, Maybel and Kaya. They are Caroline’s cats, really, but they tolerate me — and even grace me with the occasional purr when I give them a piece or two of dog kibble when I feed the dogs. 

Kaya has an itchy skin condition that has flared up, resulting in Caroline’s handmade stuffed donut improvement on  the traditional cone.  Kaya is trying as hard as she can to retain her dignity, in between bursts of squeezing herself through tight spaces to try to scrape it off. Maybel looks rather smug and seems to be enjoying the situation. Kaya makes me laugh every time I see her, which I suspect does not enhance her mood.

 

This weekend has been a mixed bag getting things ticked off my to-do list, changing course from planned activities, and a bit of much-needed creative playtime. As I wrote that, I realize that I sound like I expect to proceed happily and straight-forwardly (yes, spellcheck, I know  that is not a real word) through my To Do list… and of course that never happens. It’s all about the recalculating along the way. 

Yesterday, I woke up to the strong smell of smoke in the air, an eerie orange glow in the sky, and bits of ash floating down like creepy snowflakes. What a trigger for this former Sonoma County resident! I checked to see where the fires were that were creating this effect, and was relieved to find that they were (still are, actually) quite far away in eastern Washington. (You can see where I circled Whidbey Island on the map up there.) So it was a relief that the smoke here did not mean the resulting process of grabbing the Go bags, packing, putting pet food and gear and other things by the back door, or loading the car just in case. It did make me sad to know that somewhere easterly people WERE having to do those things.  So all of that kind of shifted my mood all day.

When the air is full of smoke and ash, one does not want to be outside at all. I closed up the house and thought sadly of the farmers’ market vendors I am coming to know. I’m sure attendance was low, and it was probably pretty unpleasant out there. 

On a “step forward” note, my handyman guy installed medicine cabinets in our bathrooms. I’ve mentioned that this house has odd and somewhat minimal storage. I chose very basic cabinets like this, but it makes me happy - and frees up a lot of space — to be able to put things in a medicine cabinet. 

While I was emptying a few more boxes in search of things I still cannot find (my Susan Branch cookbooks! My lap desk! My glitter cardstock!), I came across some things that made me smile… little surprise gifts.

For example, this childhood bedtime storybook with ownership clearly written by my sister Laura. Or wait, maybe she wrote her name, and I added the “+ DIANE”? We used to play library a lot and many of our old books have library check-out cards drawn rather primitively on the inside covers. This one did not, though. 

And then there was this photo from a Hawaiian cruise my family took together somewhere around 1985 or it. This is me, my brother Gregg, and his wife Kari. Gregg has been gone for 5 years now, and I miss him every day. I do not, however, miss the perms that I tried for years as I battled my stick-straight hair. 

After that burst of unpacking a few more boxes, which also involved lugging books upstairs, rearranging a bookshelf, and stomping down the boxes for next week's recycling center run, I decided to play a bit with paper and glue. Cutting and gluing can be very therapeutic.

 

Before I moved, I started working on an altered book journal about the process of selling my old house and finding this one. I thought I would need a small portable craft project while I listed the Healdsburg house and until I found a Whidbey Island home. As it happened, I found this house before I even left Healdsburg so I had pretty much zero creative time (or energy) during that crazy moving time. I’m enjoying working in it now, though. I have a small plastic bin on my desk where I throw things I might want to use in it — receipts, tags, pamphlets — and when time  allows and the mood strikes, I go and journal with it all. 

If you are curious about this kind of journaling, there are zillions of inspirational videos on YouTube. I go watch Johanna Clough videos when I want inspiration. 

Usually, I work in journals that I have made myself, like this one: 

I really enjoy collecting papers and other goodies on some sort of theme and turning it all up into a book.  There is something about pockets and flaps and bits tucked into little places that just makes me happy. They are very fun to use. 

But I had packed up all of my handmade books when I decided I needed a moving journal, so I went the “altered book” route. In the book up there, I am working straight into a dollar store discard book out of which I have ripped a bunch of pages to make up for the extra stuff I’m gluing in. There are altered book videos on Youtube that show you how to do that. There’s a great series by 49dragonflies that walks you through every step. It is a whole out of fun, and very liberating to just cut and paste.

I’m off to see if I can empty another box or two. Maybe I’ll find those cookbooks! 

The week ended with washi tape.

 

I saw a post on FB or Twitter that said that every weekend should be 3 days: 1 day to do errands out in the world, 1 day to do chores at home, and 1 day to be a lazy slug. (I’m paraphrasing, I don’t think they said slug.) But I think that’s exactly right. I’ve been so grateful for this long weekend to move slowly, get things done with breaks to stare into space or take a short half-asleep/half-awake floaty sort of nap. I know this fatigue is part of grief. 

So it’s been a hodgepodge sort of week. But every day I have found what I have started thinking of as moments of true joy — a beautiful sight, a humorous moment, some little thing that feels like a gift. I am thinking about how to capture those. A photo? A journal? A list? That sky up there from the other morning was one of those moments. I found myself humming “Old Buttermilk Sky” all morning. 

It was a busy work week, so days were filled with that. I remind myself that I am lucky that my work is 100% portable, which made my move to this lovely island possible. But geez, there is so much I would rather be doing. This picture was from a 5pm “I’ve turned off the computer and now I can sit with my feet in the sun and enjoy this summer evening” moment. And as a side note, I am glad I went for red when I was deciding about the patio umbrella. Life tip: it is hard to feel sad under a red umbrella. 

I was just reminded of another moment of of joy: I can hear the low horn of the Mukilteo ferry from my house. It makes me happy every time I hear it. 

My friend Dori was here on the island visiting her mom, and she invited me to come hang out while they fished for salmon from the beach. It was a beautiful evening, not hot, not cold, just perfect. I watched them cast over and over, saw something (porpoises? Sea lions?) cavorting out in the sound, and we took breaks to sit on a driftwood log and sip wine. It was the perfect antidote to a day in front of the computer. No fish were caught that evening but I came home with a hunk of king salmon from the freezer stock of Dori’s family.  I didn’t even have to put anything wiggly on a hook. 

Saturday’s errands took me first to the farmer’s market, of course, where I was looking for tomatoes and peaches. The Foxtail Farm stand had a long line of people like me waiting to grab some of those gorgeous tomatoes. I came home with a bunch of sunflowers, too.  You will not be surprised to learn that lunch was a BLT sandwich, and dinner included a caprese salad. 

I am new to the art of the kitchen island vignette (yes! It’s a thing! Look here!) But here is my assemblage after Saturday’s excursion. Dang, a pro would have hidden that sticker on the avocado. And maybe less is more for photo purposes, but I have fruits that need ripening. Note the use of the wooden cake stand, and the appearance of a pumpkin which for my purposes is permissible after September 1.

On the way home from my Saturday errands I ventured down another new road and came upon this vista. I had the windows down and the sunroof open and the smell of sweet dry grass was in the air. That is looking northwest (I think) from Coupeville. I will have to go back there to just sit and gaze and smell the air. It felt like a healing place.

At home, my plan was to unpack and organize more craft and sewing supplies. I thought I was pretty organized in the packing process, but… apparently not. I have found so many things scattered among different boxes, and mostly layered with quilting fabric as the packing material. I have opened many boxes that say “sewing room” on them, found a top layer of fabric, and have then been totally surprised by the craft or other supplies under the fabric. I am trying to ignore the frustration at all the stuff I’ve not yet found in favor of looking it as a crafty treasure hunt with surprises in every box. Up there you see my drawer of plastic liquid stuff for adding enamel dot accents to cards and book pages. So many pretty colors! I love adding these dots to paper crafts. Now I need something to dot.

Organizing inspired to me to do a bit of collage and journaling in an altered book journal I made before I moved. I was envisioning leaving Healdsburg, staying with my friend in Port Townsend for a few weeks while I hunted for a house on the island, and needing something crafty to do during that time. I started this book, put together a portable craft supply kit… and then I ended up buying this house and days flew by with nary a crafting moment to be found. After months with no “making” (and I do not count making dinner or making a mess), it felt very satisfying to scribble notes on journaling cards and just glue stuff in. There was even washi tape involved. 

That brings you up to date here, friends. Now, tell me about your weekend. Tell me how you are greeting September. Do you have any kitchen vignettes?

Mainland Adventure

 

[I warn you now. Blogger is doing some inexplicable thing where it will not let me put a punctuation mark at the end of a sentence when the sentence is at the end of the paragraph. It moves the period to the beginning of the line. Go figure. So, please excuse the absence of that final punctuation.]

 My Saturday plan started with one goal: to buy shelving brackets and boards for a wall in my sewing room. I knew I could make the 40 minute drive to the Home Depot in Oak Harbor, on the north end of the island. But it occurred to me that because I am on the south end of the island and less than 10 minute from the Clinton-Mukilteo ferry, I could get to the Home Depot in Everett in about the same amount of time, plus there would be other fun places to explore there. 

Suddenly a Saturday shopping adventure was formed. 

I was on the 9am ferry - that was my view up above. I love riding the ferry, I really do. From my house I can hear the distant horn of the ferries and it makes me happy every time.

Anyway. Once off in Mukilteo, the GPS Genie led me to Costco, where I arrived at 9:30 just as they opened. Remarkably enough, I was out with a full cart of my Costco staples (you know, toilet paper, paper towels, olive oil, etc) by 10:05 am. I could hardly believe it

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This display of Fisher scone mix stopped me in my tracks. Did you know that scones and raspberry jam are a must-have when you go to the Washington state fair? I did not until my friend Dori, a Seattle-area native, gave me a box of the official Fisher scone mix and a jar of the companion raspberry jam. I used the mix and made the scones and they were quite delicious. I heartily endorse them

 I was ridiculously pleased to see a big display of bulk packages of Fisher scone at Costco. Isn’t that the fun of cruising Costco? You never know what you will find. You will not be surprised to know that a box came home with me. You see that empty space in the display up there? That was where my box came from

From there, I hit Home Depot and after some frustrated wandering, found the shelving supplies I needed. At this store, the only registers they had were self-service ones, which surprised me. Usually I don't mind those, but this time I had some long boards and it was cumbersome and annoying. I think I should have gotten an employee discount on my purchase as I did all the work

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And from there, to Target… another very fun place for roaming. The only “must have” on my list was their Everspring Geranium and Herbs hand soap. I love the delicate scent of this soap and keep it at my kitchen sink. So now I have a back-up supply

But more roaming ensued. I checked out out the dog toys because Target carries Bark brand toys which are clever, funny, and impressively durable. I didn’t find any that Starlie and Rosie needed, which was fine as I am still parceling out their old dog toys from the move. They greet them as if they have never seen them before

A visit to Target also requires a stroll through the Magnolia Hearth and Home section, to see what Chip and Joanna Gaines say the well-appointed farmhouse needs. I bought a few pieces from their collection when I was staging my Healdsburg house and needed to add some neutral elements. Back then I’d fallen in love with this wooden cake stand, but was being strict about not adding unnecessary items that would need to be packed and moved

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Well, there it still was on the shelf, which seemed like fate. (Or good retailing, but I prefer to think that it was a sign that I was meant to have it.)  I could see it on my kitchen island to show off vegetables or ripening avocados, or even a plate of scones. 

A friend told me that there is a Homegoods store in Lynwood, the next town over, so as long as I was having a retail adventure day I headed there. It’s another great place for wandering. I was hoping to find a narrow cabinet to fill a weird space in my bathroom, but despite a careful search I did not find anything anything suitable. Instead, I found a whole lot of pumpkin and Halloween decor. 

Which made me think that a pumpkin would look wonderful on that wooden cake stand when fall arrives. Which it has not. It’s not even Labor Day, people. Am I the only one annoyed at how many people want to rush from summer and leap to fall without savoring the last beautiful days? Maybe it's the weather here, which is sunny and perfect

As I left Homegoods, I drove by a Hobby Lobby. I have never been in one, and I never will. How a store that caters to crafters and decorators, and whose customer and employee base must surely be female by a large margin, can take the anti-women and anti-choice positions it does is simply beyond me. I think they felt my strong disapproval as I drove by. 

Then I discovered that I was near a big mall with - gasp - a Nordstrom. Nordstrom is the best of the best department stores, as far as I am concerned. So of course, I stopped. As a new Washington resident (and Nordstrom started in Seattle), it seemed like the proper thing to do

I realized that I have not been in an indoor mall since the "before-times." And this was a bustling, happy mall with nary an empty storefront. I wandered, even bought a new pair of earrings at the Brighton store (which is sort of funny as most days working at home I forget to put on earrings). But they were pretty and a shopping adventure requires at least one impulse purchase, don't you think? I do

From there, it was time to head home. This time, I got a window spot on the ferry so I could watch the water as I headed back to my little island. Did I already say how much I love the ferries? s

Living on an island with limited resources makes me appreciate the wonders of the wide world of retail in more populated areas. But I was happy to leave it behind and return to my bunny-filled island retreat

A Line of Amazons

My mom and my aunt had a long standing joke that they were Amazon women. Years ago, they had gone to a yard sale where outdoor umbrella bases were for sale. When my mom and aunt declined help in carrying them to the car and hauled them off themselves, the seller exclaimed that they were Amazons. And both women proved, time after time, that they were amazingly strong.

My mom displayed that remarkable strength over 92 years and through various medical issues. Several times my family had doctors tell us to be prepared, that women her age don’t usually survive whatever medical issue she was presenting. But mom kept on going. 

Last week, it became clear that the Amazonian strength of her heart couldn’t go much longer. I flew back to Sonoma County just after she’d been released from the hospital under hospice care. After several peaceful days at home with my dad, my sister and me at her bedside, her heart just couldn’t go any longer. She passed away on August 17.

It was as good as it could have been. She had the people she loved around her, and she knew we were with her. She was calm and in no pain. I’m convinced that she was greeted on the other side by my brother, her lifelong friend Cathy, Misha the devoted Kuvasz who was surely waiting with a tennis ball in her mouth, and so many other friends and family members. 

I’m back in the Pacific Northwest now. The dogs greeted me with wagging tails and comforting nuzzling, and my daughter  gave me a tight hug. It feels good to come home.  My heart is sore, of course. But  I come from a line of Amazons. I'll think of my mom often, and keep on going.

Just what I needed.

It was kind of a rough week this week. Too much work, too many boxes still waiting to be unpacked, too much clutter everywhere, too many things on my to-do list… it just felt like TOO MUCH. 

Yesterday, I decided to forego the farmer’s market and stay home and tackle more of the chaos. It was actually a very productive day, although I’m still struggling with too much stuff and not enough places to put it. It ended with take-out fish and chips and an episode of Candice Renoir on Acorn tv, so all in all a pretty good day. 

This morning, my plan was to get to the grocery store and hardware store (conveniently located in the same shopping area) early, then return and make some more progress on setting up my sewing room. But on the way home, while I was waiting to turn left at the traffic light to head home, I realized that I’d never gone straight across that intersection to see what was down that road.

Another spontaneous meander. And reader, I am so glad I meandered.

Remember I said there is water in every direction? (I guess that’s what living on an island means, now that I think about it…) There it was. This turned out to be Mutiny Bay, on the west side of the island.

So beautiful. There was a tangle of blackberry bushes on the side of the road with a sign marked “private” so I left them alone.

I went a bit further and found a public beach. There were a few meandering people — it was early, still — but it’s hot this weekend I expect there will be a lot of people later. There are a lot of driftwood on these beaches and I often see casual wood sculptures. They make me happy. 

Heading back in the general direction of home, I was struck(as I often am) by how much I love just driving on these tree-lined roads.  And while I was cruising along, I saw a sign for an art and craft fair down a small road. It was the same road that led to the pick-your-own dahlias garden I discovered last week, so I figured that was a good omen.

A bumpy road led to a big mown field/ parking area, which led me to a pretty garden with tents and umbrellas  and artists scattered among the trees.  

It was early enough to be cool and pleasant, and it felt like I’d stumbled into a magical market. You know, the sort that in a children’s book everyone would later deny ever existed.

The flowers were lush with just the right sort of overgrown-ness to them. Kind of how I’d like my own garden to be some day. 

Around a corner was a charming house — oh my, will you look at that perfect porch. One of the artists told me that the grounds used to be a nursery, and that the owner maybe closed it down but still lived on the premises. 

I wandered around, admiring the art, chatting with the artists, and falling in love with the garden.

There were hidden delights at almost every turn.  Look at this screened cabin. I could picture what a perfect reading hideaway that would make for lazy summer afternoons, or even rainy spring and fall days. 

There were inviting seating areas. That’d be a good place to sit and do a quick sketch, don’t you think? (If I could find my sketching supplies. I haven’t found that box yet.) 

A metal cricket, guarding the flowers… 

I think I need some old rusty tubs to hang on a wall. And a Bluey-pink hydrangea just like this.

I don’t have an anvil but if I did, I wouldn’t have thought of doing this. Now I need an anvil. 

I gasped when I turned the corner and came upon these hydrangeas. Have you ever seen such a deep, rich blue? 

So many delightful touches tucked in the bushes. This sweet bird bath.

As I headed back to the car, I peeked inside a greenhouse that looked like a very happy house for tomatoes. None for sale, but I was able to get some local ones at the market earlier, and seeing this made me decide that we’ll be having BLTs for dinner. Oh, and now that I think of it, there is a ripe avocado ready. Make that BLATs for dinner.

But I digress. Bumping back down the road from the art fair, I passed the “U-Pick Dahlias” sign. I could not resist. 

This time, I just meandered and enjoyed the peaceful garden. I wonder if the owners would mind if I brought a picnic blanket and camped under the trees for an afternoon?

I thought I was the only one there, and then I spotted this guy. Turns out he and his friends were busy enjoying the flowers too. 

I wandered around, taking pictures of the flowers, wishing idly that I’d thought to put my big Nikon in the car when I go on these errands… and thinking how, after a kind of crummy week, the morning had been exactly what I needed.  

And then the most magical thing happened. 

Can you see them?

A flock of some sort of sea bird went overhead, bright white and black against the blue sky. 

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Some sort of tern, perhaps? 

They did two big circles over my head, and then drifted into formation and flew out of sight.

There are times when I feel the presence of my brother, who died 4 years ago, very strongly. I am sure my brother sent those today to say hello. Thank you, Gregg. 

Here’s the thing I keep finding about this magical island. Over and over, and in ways that surprise me, it keeps giving me what I need. 

I hope you find the little surprises in your world that give you what you need, dear readers.