My Bit of Earth

Roses Need No Words

A Walk in the Cemetery

As much as the idea of being buried gives me the heebs, I love going for a walks in pretty, old cemeteries.  Strangely, there is one kinda-sorta near our house that I hadn't yet visited, so tonight I decided to rectify that situation.

Isn't it amazing how many questions can arise from a headstone?  For example, who is leaving fresh flowers for Elizabeth Watkins, who died over 60 years ago?  Who is buried under the headstone that's been rubbed blank by time and the weather?  Did the mama and baby we found with the same death date die in childbirth, or in some other way? 

But, on the other end of the spectrum, isn't it incredible how much of a person's story can be told with just a few words and dates?  

Just Because....

....I've finally discovered Lightroom, and I'm officially addicted....

....food can be so lovely, even if it's just simple...maybe even especially when it's simple....

....these grapes were some of the sweetest and juciest I've had in a long time....

....and I happened to put them in my little heart shaped bowl and it's Love Thursday, so....

Love Quilt Update

Way back in July, I blogged about my plans to take apart an old quilt and put it together again.  

It's actually taken a bit more work than I thought it would.  Just cutting the pieces apart took a few evenings.  Going through to determine what was re-usable and what was too stained or threadbare took more time on top of that.  So much of the fabric was just paper thin.

But, in fits and spurts, I've made progress.  It's hard to say how much progress, because I'm not sure exactly how big it's going to be when I'm done.  The plan is just to keep stitching--keeping the quilt in a basically rectangular shape--until I run out of fabric scraps.  Along the way I've been experimenting quite a bit.  I did the first square as a random "crazy quilt", but have subsequently been working generally in diagonal strips.  It's quite a bit faster that way, although eventually I'll probably have to do another completely crazy square just so the one doesn't look weird.

I love the way it's coming together though, especially when I stop and lay it out in the sun.

(For more Love Thursday fun, check out Chookooloonks.)

A Small Loom

Encouraged by the wonderful Ms. Crone-Findlay (I can tell by her voice that I like her), I bought a small metal potholder loom last week, and have been weaving away.  (See her potholder loom weaving tutorial Part 1 and Part 2.)  Made in cotton yarn, the resulting square ends up a nice size for little scrubbie wash-rags, although I'm playing with the idea of making several and sewing them together for a little throw blanket.

Small Textures

We were are the LOLA Valentine's show at our favorite local nursery (wonderful little sale, by the way, I could have bought something at every booth!) when I wandered over to the plants (imagine that!) and found a shelf of orchids.  

Which made me think of this week's Shutter Sisters Superhero Photo Challenge--to get a shot of something abstract, as in:

"Do you remember Highlights magazine from when you were a kid? I remember poring through it at the dentist's office or the eye doctor, always flipping as quickly as I could to the back section where the photography was. There was always a page full of photographs of things that were taken so close is was hard to decipher what the object was anymore- a tennis ball, a waffle, someone's skin. The game of course was to guess what each thing was."

So, I pulled my camera out of my purse (what you don't carry a camera with you at all times?) and started clicking.  I was a little disappointed that I couldn't zoom this in a bit more so that you'd really have to guess to tell what it was, but, eh, it's still gorgeous, so whatever!

And don't you just want to run you fingers over all the textures--the little bumps and hairs and ribs and smooth spots and veins?  Yes, yes, I think we all do!

Love Thursday: Plant Porn

I know I will just buy my seeds (to the extent that I even try to grow plants from seed) from my local nursery.

I know that in the event they don't have what I need I could simply order seeds online.  

I know that it's wasteful and frivolous and downright tree-murdering of me not to tell them to stop sending you.

But I just can't pull the trigger on our relationship, Seed Savers Exchange Catalog.  Because when you come in the mail, and I run my hands over your bright and glossy cover....when I open you up to discover gorgeous shots of 18 different varieties of cucumber...mysterious things like dinosaur gourds...miraculous things like sunflowers...and tomatoes...I just can't help myself.  I have to peruse you over and over and over again....

(For more Love Thursday fun, check out Chookooloonks.)

One Word Project

Those Shutter Sisters are at it again--this month they're starting the "One Word Project", asking readers to pick a word, and then take photos that illustrate that word all month long.

For February, I've chosen the word "small".  

A small remnant....

Moe Speaks: Fourth Birthday

Today, I am four.  I think Mom is maybe a little sad about this--me entering middle age and all--but I'm completely down with it.  I don't mind being older so much, and birthdays always mean fun!

This year my "present" was a nice, long afternoon walk at Clinton Lake.  (We celebrated last weekend.)  We don't usually go out hiking very much during "mud season", but Mom said we'd make an exception. 

(Note from Mom: I think we still have mud pasted to the kitchen floor from the aftermath!)

First, we walked all the way to the top of a big hill that looks over the lake. 

 

Then I chased my ball down hill towards the lake shore.

Mom played around for awhile taking pictures on the beach, but the lake was frozen, so no swimming!  I did get to sniff around a little before we headed for home though.

And then, as if the walk wasn't enough, I got to take a shower all by myself to wash off my mud!  

What a great birthday I had!

Christmas Collage

Some of my favorites from our holiday fun--click to make it bigger, more pictures here.

Snowy Night Pretty

Taken at our favorite breakfast place, when we were there for dinner.  (I'm not telling where, you'd tell people, and it's already getting too popular as it is!)

Autumn Log Picture in the Paper

I'm in the "Behind the Lens" column in our local paper today.  (Link.)

Five Things I Wanna Do Very Soon and One Request for Good Vibes for a Certain Welsh Terrier

1. Take some pictures inspired by these.  Just need to find some bits of flowers, and perhaps some skinny vases.
2. Make this Christmas tree.  Isn't it so bright and cheery?  I have a spare table top tree, and I think I have enough spare yarn around for the ornaments.  I also stole six toothpicks from an Indian restaurant the other day to make the star, so now I have to make the tree because otherwise the bad karma will be all for naught.
3. Work on my gingerbread house design for the local contest.  I think I'm going to do something like this, as I have a spare globe-y thing and it looks fairly easy?  (I hope?)
4. Knit like a madwoman.  It's addictive, this making things from string and sticks.  In addition to working on a pair o' mittens for myself, I want to get a wee toboggan hat (like this--scroll down) and some slippers (anyone have an easy pattern?) done before Christmas.  Then maybe a blanket.  *Sigh*  So much to knit, so little time!
5. Catch up on my library books.  I have thirteen sitting on my night stand that are overdue!  But I want to finish them before I send them back.  I'm so lucky my wonderful library doesn't charge late fees!

In other news, we're trying out a new doggie daycare for Moe tomorrow.  Nice Owner (who is Moe's groomer also) said he would be willing to work with Moe on playing nice with others.  Any good vibes, nice thoughts, prayers, or whatever it is you do, would be most welcome.  I'm really hoping this will help at least a little....

24/7

For Shutter Sisters' Love Thursday....

On a bathroom wall at a bar.

Tricks and Treats

After a gorgeous walk through the park, I spent the early part of Halloween handing out candy to little ones. Then it was off for some sushi, and a meander down Mass Street where I met the legendary John Brown, alive and well. I also hung out with a manly (but hilarious) Sarah Palin, a lovely pirate wench, and a suitably dressed Scot.

More pictures here.

Happy Halloween Dudes!

Hold on to your hearts bitches, it's Moe, the beach-dude-dog, here to wish you a very Happy Halloween!

Milkweed and Mums

It's once again time for May Dreams Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.  Follow the link to see what's blooming this month all over the world.

My milkweed is still going strong and making lots of poufy seeds.  Meanwhile, the lovely mum I got from Pendleton's (in exchange for some scarecrow building) is happily exuding Fall.

Apprentice Pumpkin

When I bought this wee orange vegetable, he was labeled as an "Apprentice Pumpkin".  That is, he's "practicing to be a big one someday".

Leaving the Line Cabin Camp

Our final morning at the cabin...

...I finally took time to gather some pecans. The whole time we were there you could see and hear both pecans and walnuts dropping from the trees almost constantly. It's a wonder none hit us on the head!

...Moe played a few last games of fetch in the woods.  Another of my very favorite things about this place was that the dogs could run loose.  Although they did go a little far one morning, for the most part they were content to sniff and explore within sight of the cabin.  It was great not to have to tether them to us or worry about them bothering/being bothered by other dogs or cars or people.

Then we packed up and headed for home.  Although if we came back with friends we would probably have to opt for one of the bigger cabins, I think a trip back to Rock Eddy Bluff Farm--maybe during summer canoing season--is definitely in our future.

For some more pictures, see here.

Later that Evening...

...Porter slept. Although I think she had a good time on our trip overall, I could tell she was exhausted by the end of each day.

...Moe rolled in poop. Which I thought was really soooo adorable, until later when all he wanted to do was cuddle on my lap.

...We took time to read some of the notes left by others who had stayed at the Line Cabin Camp, and then listened to the presidential debate on the radio.

I considered whether it might not be a little sacrilegious to bring modern events into the little cabin, but in the end decided that listening by radio was in keeping with the spirit of the place.  It was easy to imagine being there a hundred years before when the only source of current news might have been a radio.  Although I felt like we were missing a lot because we couldn't see the candidates body language and facial expressions, Sweet Husband said he actually liked it better because he wasn't distracted by all of that.

The clouds from earlier in the day were covering the moon and stars that night, so it was incredibly dark out.  It was so dark that--here's my brave confession--I made Sweet Husband walk out with me to the potty before we went to bed!