Departures of a palm and other good things

Yesterday Gary and friend came to collect the tall palm, and the next door tenant seized the chance to make him take another big plant he wanted to leave there. Timing.

The palm is reclining in there, on two seats.

 Shortly to be joined by a large pony palm 

Here's the open space left

And the rearranged plants looking much more compact. I like this.

Meanwhile the wheeled platform I'd made for the tall palm is now reassigned to my  box of weights. They're under the coffee table so that I remember to use them. Now they're movable, too.

This was great. Turns out the other pony palm belongs to me. I thought I only had custody.  So we're all done with the plants.

Then Tuesday Knitting group, and a lively group with new and returning members.

I started a new knotting project with more threads. This could be any width, really. Another participant watches me a while and plans to try this herself.

 

Marvelous sock knitting, expert level, and she's always happy to show beginners how to get going.

Here's the beginning embroiderer, no longer a beginner, doing very well.

This expert knitter is wearing her own work 

So's this one 

Knitting, knotting, crochet, embroidery, all in action.

Talk ranged over cat behavior, afternoon concerts, English pronunciation, poutine, Montreal, social media, Ravelry, early cellphone use, group chat, diamond rings and more.

Then home to a pot of tea, and Textiles and Tea with a fifth generation weaver, closely associated with the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts.

Here she is with her granddaughter, another weaver

Here, underneath, an overshot piece woven by her granddaughter, on top an overshot piece woven by her grandmother. 

Here's part of a retrospective exhibit for her 85th birthday 

She makes garments too

 Early pictures of Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts 

She survived the 2016 Gatlinburg Tennessee,wildfires which ravaged large areas and many homes

Her home and car were incinerated, the car melted and running down what had been the driveway. She lost a lifetime of looms, yarn, everything.

In response to my question about recovering from the fire her granddaughter showed pictures of weavings from after the fire, with pieces of the melted car incorporated. 

Frances gave the weavings for permanent holding to a local exhibit venue, just didn't want them around her after she worked through the losses of all kinds 

Look her up, she's a treasure, an artist and weaver, a survivor and a historian, from a long line of similar women.

Happy day everyone. I certainly had one.

Weaving thoughts, shadow art, too darned hot

Friends in the UK are feeling chilly. If anyone has nice medium weather please comment and cheer us all up.

I finally decided, in the third heatwave of the year, maybe I should retire the cosy blanket from the sofa and summerize it.

It's a large bedsheet in the inevitable sage green I seem to like. I think it's in my DNA, my Mom used to like green and cream combos in the house. No cream here, but pale yellow walls. 

While I was at it I swept the floor, high time. Next week another friend is coming over to pick a piece of art, so I just thought I would. I'd hate her to shudder and run at the sight of the crumbs everywhere. 

And there was shadow art this morning from the split leaf philodendron. Isn't that a great design idea?

This plant is a house guest, living here temporarily to shelter from the turmoil of furniture moving next door, and due to move to her new home soon. 

She's doing okay with minimal care. I don't do a lot with houseplants, and they seem to manage. I'm wondering if Gary will also collect other plants he stuck in my house when he ran out of room in his own. 

I will be fine if he does, since I'm in labor saving mode these days. He likes big dramatic plants which I find a bit too much of a good thing.  I really prefer starting from cuttings and seed, rather than let the plant nursery have all the fun.

I'm thinking what to weave, which loom to weave it on, what yarn to use. I need contrasts because clasped weft likes contrast. And I need to review how to do cw first. I always forget the path the weft has to take. 

My vaxxed arm is almost back in action and I'm getting back up to speed. Pretty much as planned, in fact.  So all's well.

Happy day everyone, wait till your arm gives you the signal! Esmeralda Fluffageddon approves this message.

Wrong day misfits, now confusion of the season, bergamot wannabes, The Bishop's Wife

Because of the holiday falling on my delivery day my misfits came Monday. As if I didn't already get confused enough when there's a holiday.

Note the bergamot wannabes in the background starting to take shape, sssh, don't jinx them. Even that busted up one may be fixable, wabi sabi, with the last finishing stage, tissue paper and white glue.

Meanwhile back in the food world, cans for the food pantry, scallions to add in all over for crunch, apples because mid morning requires an apple, cheese to stock up again, red lentils likewise. This is a short week, so a small box, because I still have plenty from last week's delivery. 

Also Handsome Son will be here bearing food on Thursday, so there will be reinforcements. I'm doing the corn, peas and roast potatoes, and he's doing practically everything else, yay.

I appear to have neglected to do any Christmas decorating, because I forgot to ask him to lift down the box from the high shelf. I'm not feeling very pressured about it though.

I will remember to watch my favorite movie of all for the season, the one that gets it. The Bishop's Wife. 

Breaking from ants and plants:

News from the cactus front. Down to two buds after some clumsy gardener knocked one off while watering next to it. Boud: boo hiss. Cactus: never mind, I'll be fine.  All alone. In the dark. 

News from the ant front. After I put down the borax and confectioners sugar mix, there was a rush of tiny ants, then none at all.  Gone. For now anyway. Boud 1, ants 0. Just now.

Happy day everyone, plants can be passy aggy, too. And ants.

Good news for plants and people

This morning I finished boxing the completed lapghan, which turned out very warm and sturdy with its fleecy backing. The backing is dark grey, works well with the colors. You can see it through the lacy squares. So now it's draft proof, always a good thing with granny squares.

I added in three pairs of fingerless gloves, after pressing and airing lapghan and gloves.

Then I added in a few skeins of bright colored yarn and a couple of sets of knitting needles and a circular. Just in case anyone would like to knit. It can be helpful if you're in crisis, which these recipients certainly are.

So now it's gone. I made it to the PO and got a warm welcome from Lou behind the counter. I suspect he thought I'd gone when he hadn't seen me in a while. People wonder.

So that was good for everyone. And one of Biden's final acts of his presidency 

Fair warning: I'm not entertaining any legalistic comments on this, whether it's legally binding, what the DOJ has to say, or the national archivist, none of it. I just want with my fellow American women, to savor the moment. Thank you Joe.

I've been pushing for decades for this simple few words to be enacted. Including messaging Joe asking for his declaration. Twenty four words, meaning everything.

Back on the ground, I did a bit of home gardening.

Here's Gary's anthurium which had outgrown its tiny starter pot, ready for a bigger one, and coleus, already rooted strongly in water, which will go to Gary along with the anthurium once it's settled.

And clockwise, the anthurium with her brave new leaf, coleus for Gary, new prunings from the potted coleus starting in water, and three tiny succulent leaves started in the tiny pot from the anthurium.

It seems a bit early in the year, but the coleus had put on a spurt, the succulents are putting out new growth all over, so I took my cue from them. They know what they're doing.

Happy day everyone, one way to resist is to enrich our own lives however we can, so I'm doing that.

Photo AC 

August walking and orphans

 Today's walk took me back to the pond, a bit harder to get through the trees now bent down with overnight rain.

The air was full of dragonflies and other insects probably getting a banquet of gnats after the storm. 

Across the pond was a contingent of the flocks of Canada geese we deal with, here eating the golf course and no doubt pooping copiously all over it. They're protected and very prolific breeders, so we're not entirely enthusiastic about seeing them around 

Berries ripening for the birds

 There are fungi showing up, sometimes bitten into, a sign of early fall, though the hollow tree where I find lichen doesn't have any yet.

And here's a plant I can't identify, at the edge of the trees 

Maybe the buds will open helpfully and we'll know. Meanwhile if you already know, please speak up.

Elsewhere there was talk about rescuing plants and I realized that all of my collection are either rescues, from the dumpster like the ancestor of this third generation plant

or friends who didn't know how to handle them. 

Like this 

 I think the only houseplant I ever bought was the ficus now in residence at the library.

And on the patio, the developing hibiscus bud collected rain in its cup overnight 

Not long before a new blossom bursts out.

Someone asked me recently about English paper piecing, so in case they're reading here, here's a pillow I pieced by hand a while back 

Today's reading is 

Old fashioned attitudes and language but still good reading, especially since Peter Wimsey's mother appears, bringing wonderful dialogue,  and there's an indomitable old lady, the mother of the accused. They hit it off fine.

Happy day, everyone, between the walking and the allergy meds, the season in full swing again, I think I'll rest my eyes soon..

Handsome Son has asked to finally celebrate his birthday on Thursday this week, weather permitting. This means if it's great shore weather we'll reschedule! Those days are precious.