Soup, roast veg, Thai basil, seedling id

This afternoon being the six months follow up mammogram appointment, where I find out if things are okay, this morning was spent in displacement activity,  busily making soup. 

Butternut, cashew, carrot, to be exact.

The little seedling continued, see also below. And the Thai basil is in for the season, complete with seeds off the plant, so my garnish is back.

If you're thinking hmmm, not many carrots there, it's all I had left after making this yesterday

Broccoli, sweet potato, carrots, onions, garlic, hot sausage. And remember that couscous I accidentally made a lot of? It's back from the freezer, and goes really well with this veg assortment. It's under there.

Back to the Rose of Sharon, it's always back to the Rose of Sharon around here. 

Here's the seedling, and though it did have the seed attached, looks unlike an R of S. I know the first two leaves don't always look like the mature ones, but I wonder.

Meanwhile, nature is getting on with the dollar spot fungus without any help from me. I think it's beautiful with early morning rain, so here it is. Again. 

Later today is Textiles and Tea, more tomorrow about that. And Handsome Son has announced a visit tomorrow, great timing, what with oatmeal cookies and great blueberry and other muffin things around the place.

Good vibes for this afternoon, please. 

Meanwhile, life's a banquet. I might not like all the courses.

Happy Thanksgiving weekend, Canadian friends, and otherSaturday offerings

Every Saturday on Twitter, the ELG, East London Group, posts this image of a wonderful painting by Brynhild Parker.

Every Saturday morning this appears in my timeline, and it's become part of my life really.  There's more to see and feel each time I see it.

She was active from the 1920s on, illustrated books and created posters, as well as exhibiting paintings. There's a current exhibit open in the UK of two other ELG  members, the  Steggles brothers. 

Most of the group were working class people from the east end of London, who were talented artists. 

They were windowcleaners, office workers, construction workers,  and had to take breaks in making art when they couldn't afford materials. But they developed major reputations and had some significant exhibits. Parker exhibited with them but was from an affluent art centered family, went to the Slade, different kind of life.  All are well worth looking up.

And here's excitement near home

It looks as if one of the Rose of Sharon seedlings has germinated. Unless it's something else. My current track record doesn't give me total confidence, but anyway something's growing next to the toothpick.

And here's some terrific harvest related crafting, snd I'd credit the maker if I knew who. That spiral piece is so beautiful.

This kind of work used to have religious significance as well as pagan origins, about thanks for the harvest and hopes to continue. Debra, can you shed more light?

Anyway, it's here to wish Canadian blogistas a happy Thanksgiving  weekend. 

And speaking of seasons, we're into Season five of the microseasons.

Just a few words is enough to get the feeling of the slow steady changes outdoors.

Indoors a bit of movement with the figure. It's off the hoop, gathered into a ball shape and stuffed.

Next I have to search for materials to mount the headpiece. I'm not thinking of a human body for this one, more of a pillar or something. Still considering the next bit.

So that's what's up chez Boud today. Happy weekend everyone.

Speaking of rose of Sharon..

The seeds are here. Already. They must have caught a following wind.

They  need to he soaked for 12 hours. I'm going to reserve some, just because. 

The germination takes 7-60 days, it says! Sounds like hedging your bets!

But I'm ready to go. See the pot, newly dampened soil.

My across the street neighbor stopped over earlier to double-check about separating her potbound Boston Fern. I confirmed that she could literally saw vertically through the roots, soak it well then  repot each half. 

I'm glad to say she didn't offer me half. I originally gave her this one, the great grandchild of my original one, fed up of the endless debris coming off it, pretty or not. So I'm happy it's living with her. She's about two years overdue to divide it. 

Also two more tiny moringa sprouted in the wrong pot, so I've transplanted them. At this point I'm using a teaspoon for my gardening, everything miniaturized. 

Fingers crossed for successful germination of the Rose of Sharon, everyone!

White rabbits and plant freedom

 It's October already, not sure how that happened. 

Yesterday was a fallow day for writing. Slow thoughtful day, not a blogging day. Blogging can get to resemble a treadmill, particularly when people expect a post and ask where it is! Now and then it just isn't.

Yesterday I declared my freedom from plants I don't like, and started by heaving the aglaonema that was basically dumped on me by a neighbor. I might offer it on Freecycle. 

And I think the staghorn fern has reached the end of its days, after a few good years, another dumpee, never a great specimen.

There's a sense of relief that it's okay to return to nature, or other homes, plants I've had enough of. Also a first, since I've always felt obliged to accept every plant neighbors were tired of, rescue fashion. I'm rethinking my rights!

And yesterday I got an id question about a pretty flowering plant which seemed to have shown up in a friend's flowerbed by who knows what means. I guessed it was a Rose of Sharon, some of which self seed wildly.

 Right or wrong in my identification, I also found they can be started from seed. Now this interested me, so next thing I've ordered a few so I can finally get the rose of Sharon I've been wanting for years.

Viz

I

 had one which was trampled out of existence during the last renovation before it got going, after months of waiting for it to arrive from the nursery and finally start the previous year.

This way, perhaps I will have something to transplant next year after the fence is replaced, if it ever is. It's at a dead stop now, waiting for supplies. 

I have a cold or an allergy or something dragging on, maybe I should skip the knitting group today for the sake of social responsibility. If it's a cold, not to spread it. I'll see how the morning goes maybe.

I was planning on watching a program about the history of Quakers in NJ last evening, then the speaker sent out a handout ahead of time. Dryest, dullest thing, not my speed. 

So I skipped the Zoom and did a bit of exploration on YouTube, much more interesting. And I found that a lot of what I do and how I proceed with art and living is quite Quaker like, interesting. I might become a Quaker at large, not being interested in group things much. I'm going to check in the next local Friends Zoom meeting. 

I certainly always admired the spirit of Fox, the founder, a friend of King Charles. He is said to have gone into the king's presence with his hat on and was reproved for it. 

Whereupon, true to his principles, he replied "Charles, thou dost not doff thy hat (the crown) to me. I do not doff my hat to thee." Good job he was a friend. It wouldn't have gone down well otherwise. Such dignity and walking the walk though. No title for another human being, courtesy but no special privilege even to a king. Thrills my little egalitarian heart!

So that's what a fallow day will do for a person! No end of trouble you can get into.

Rose of Sharon triumphs

During the renovation, my little planted areas took a beating.  Some plants just gave up, others were trodden on, equipment put down on them, ladders settled into their roots, and still they rose.

Here's the little Rose of Sharon, planted last fall as a tiny shrub, and literally downtrodden repeatedly, broken, replanted three times, and suddenly she took off last week, and here's her first blossom.  She has about a dozen buds all of a sudden.

I think there's a lesson in here!