After the magnolias
but before the roses
comes lilac country.
I spread a blanket
on the grass and wait
for the lilacs –
they bloom
in an instant.
A snapshot of spring
so fragile; seven days
where everything is
perfect.
Lilac Country
Reply
Tag Archives: flowers
Mid-Spring Sunlight
In the past week, there have been more days of rain than sunshine, so I am soaking up every little bit that I can. On Tuesday night, I laid out a blanket in the yard and read until the sun dipped behind the garage. The warmer weather has called for salads and iced tea- one of my favorite combinations. With the warm weather, the end of the Spring semester draws near- meaning I can work from home three days a week instead of two. I’m looking forward to working on my back porch rather than sitting at a dark desk inside. Not much knitting has been happening, but I have found plenty of inspiration on Pinterest. In fact, I’ve been a little Pinterest-crazy lately, and it’s been a lot of fun. I have a better idea for what the remainder of Spring and this coming Summer will look like: full of glowing light, spontaneous travel, delicious food, entrancing novels, and beautiful crafts.
April Arboretum Loveliness
I’m very lucky to work near the Arboretum and new Palmer Museum of Art. On my lunch walks, I try to visit, but with classes in session, it’s usually very busy. This past week I was able to get out for a walk a little later than usual, so I could stop and soak in all of the lovely flowers. Early spring blooms are my favorite, especially hyacinths and daffodils. The Arboretum didn’t have any tulips this year, but the loss was offset by hellebore and an adorable member of the amaryllis family. I paused my walk tracker to spend 5 minutes bird-watching at the Bird House. There were a pile of frogs- and their songs drowned out the birds, so I could only identify by sight. After spending forty-five minutes in the Arboretum, I headed back to work, refreshed and ready to finish my day.
rain, rain go away
Last night, a vicious storm swept through town and knocked over a neighbor’s tree. I could barely sleep, for I have a gigantic Crimson King maple tree in my yard, and I am afraid it will fall over onto the house. The tree is healthy with a deep root system and strong branches, but my fear continues unabated. I was up until midnight trying to listen for breaking branches or ripping soil.
My morning called for a glass of cold brew with my current favorite “creamer.” I’ll attempt to share my method here… In a half-pint canning jar, add a tablespoon of packed brown sugar and maple syrup to taste. Fill the jar halfway full with your preferred milk. Screw on a lid. Shake the jar until everything is well mixed- depending on the milk you use, you may have some foam in there. Pour the contents of your half-pint jar into a glass of cold brew. Drink that up! It will be delicious.
One of my plans for this weekend is to start selling some stuff on the side on Facebook Marketplace. I did this over last winter and made about $150 within a month. My goal is to sell 10 things. It’s surprisingly patient work- but I have some financial goals to crush in the next 5 months and sitting on my butt won’t help anything!
busy is as busy does
The weeks have flown by. It’s already June! I can’t handle it. I am adrift in a sea of emails and knitting. One of these things I like, the other- not so much.
Since I have last written, I have finished my New Beginnings Shawl. It turned out marvelously. Even with having to cut it short, it is still huge. I may knit this pattern again, in the future… maybe a dark green tonal yarn, with extra length for the beaded edging… for another time. I have also finished a pair of socks, and cast on for my next project, the Falling Water Shawl.
I was able to make it to the Arboretum for a quick Lunch Walk last week. I was in between phases of the rose bloom, but I did get to see lots of gorgeous irises. The drought in Pennsylvania has been awful, and with the Quebec wildfire smoke, being outdoors was unbearable for several days this week.
Life continues on. I bought some delicious yarn on Friday- Sweet Pea and Sparrow Platinum Sock in Flowering Crabapple. I saw the announcement on Instagram and flew to the webshop. I have NO idea what I will make with it, but my goodness will it be beautiful. I want those colors up near my face- possibly a Miss Winkle or a TGV. Now that I have shared those ideas… I think a TGV will be the way to go. I loved knitting one in 2021, and I ended up giving it away. I need one for myself!
Somewhere along the way, I need to make something for Father’s Day. I have a skein of worsted-weight wool dyed in bright lime and lemon colors. It’s eye searing, which is something my Dad likes in hats… I want the colors to really stand out, but not be so plain- something along the lines of Bankhead. Mom measured Dad’s head to be 22 3/8″ around. I ought to be able to cast on and knit it up within a week. Hopefully. If I’m not derailed by casting on for a pair of socks.
I’m usually a monogamous knitter. I almost always have something going crochet-wise, and dishcloths don’t even count any more. I loved knitting socks so much that I actually dream of making them at night. It was awesome. I know why people knit only socks. I am tempted by everything. I have such a beautiful, wonderful stash and all needs to be knitted now!
Until next time ~
gathering swallows 