Tuesday, June 25, 2019

SUMMER IS HERE...












Friday was an exceptionally beautiful
 first day of summer.  

It was sunny 
but not hot and 
breezes, while light, 
set the wind chimes 
to moving just enough,
 leaving a hint of what 
we would like 
summer to be.






Nature is
 coming over to
 the bright side...






...the lavender 
is ready to be 
what it is the very best at..
being lavender and feeding the bees...






...and we have
 a small crop of morning glories 
already reaching 
for the top of the arbor.

 As I showed you last summer, 
the Captain likes to plant a morning glory
 next to the gate arbor, 
but sometimes the nurseries 
don't have them 
or by the time we find one, 
it doesn't have too long left
 of its growth period. 
 I decided to plant
 my own seeds this time and
 am anxious to see them thrive.






Meanwhile,
 the Cottage stew is simmering 
on the back burner.

 In the dining room 
I have set a tea table for two, 
using bits and pieces of china
 that have been handed down
from my mother over past years. 
 It looks bright and simple 
along with some
 cuttings from the garden.


"A vase can be a little garden, its contents gathered
 to please the eye."

Debra Prinzing
















As a new summer begins,
 and when some things don't work 
the way they
 were intended...






...transform them 
into something else and
 they will shine 
once again.






A shining bit of summer to me 
is when I see the first dragon fly.

  This pretty creature 
was hanging around the garden 
on the first day of summer and 
gladly posed for me. 
 His wings are
 really a work of art.









On behalf of 
this fancy fella,
 I want to wish you all
 Happy Summer Days.


...Judy...







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Tuesday, June 18, 2019

A COTTAGE STEW...












The Cottage 
always seems a little blue.

  Not in a sad way, 
but in the sense that blue is
 its comfort color. 
 No matter what time of the year it is, 
you will always find some blue 
just around a corner.





This summer
 is preparing to be a 
blue and white summer.

  What that means is
 that blue and white will be 
the meat and potatoes 
of this Cottage stew.

 The two colors will be
 the back drop for all the 
seasonal colors to come, 
up to and 
including Christmas.





The parlor is, of course, 
the main room to display the color blue.

 I have toyed with the idea
 of taking down the wallpaper a few times,
 however, it never gets very far
 because I just seem to be comforted by it.

  The Cottage, 
a small, one story, Queen Ann Victorian,
 built in 1879, 
deserves to have
 at least one room
 that is true
 to its roots.






There are bits and pieces 
of the Victorian era
 sprinkled throughout 
in the form of furniture, pictures, etc.,
but the blue wallpaper
 in the parlor, 
while existing perfectly with the
 Victorian parlor set and the lace curtains,
 still gives me that touch of 
soft comfort 
that I have always been drawn to.





This blue plate special, 
along with a swag of 
 pansies and morning glories,
 just seems to be the right ingredient
 for the parlor mantle.






In the sitting room
 we can begin stirring the pot and 
adding a little more blue and white. 

 As the flowers of the garden 
are starting to simmer
 some lavender, a different shade of blue,
 is added to tiny vases here and there
 and the scent in the room
 makes the mouth water.





Some pillows 
are the same, some are new,
 or at least new on one side,
 and add blue and white flavor
 to the setting...





...while more bits 
of the colors 
are sprinkled around.




Soon some spice 
will be added by way of the color red. 
 Then the patriotic colors
 will come
 to life...





...and when the leaves begin to fall,
 rusts and earth tones will emerge.
  A tribute to the
 harvest in the fields...






...and as Christmas appears,
 that will just be dessert..
the icing on the cake.





There is something
 missing right now 
but, hopefully,
 will be able to be 
revealed soon...





...and before 
the Cottage stew is done
 there will be other stories in between.

 Remember,
 the longer the flavors come together,
 the better the taste.



...Judy...






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Tuesday, June 11, 2019

JUST A DAY AT THE BEACH...













It is what seems like 
just a few short years ago that
 we were blessed with
 our darling daughter, Tami.

 In celebration 
of her birthday 
we took a day trip 
to the beach.






"Yay!!  Road Trip!"





An early morning journey 
through the
 California redwoods and
 the coastal fog.





We had hoped that
 Jake and Jacenda 
would be able to join us,
 but they are embarking on
 a journey of their own.
  
They have moved to San Francisco 
where Jacenda is starting 
an intense two year program 
at the 
University of San Francisco 
School of Nursing and Health Professions.

  Jake is loving his job
 at Kaiser and 
this move puts him closer 
to the airport 
as he travels quite often for his job and 
the rest of his work 
is done from home.
  
It is hard to believe 
that a year has passed 
since the both of them graduated 
from Santa Clara University.

 They are both doing so well and
 we are so proud 
of them.






We took Tami and Tim 
to dinner on the Santa Cruz wharf.  
It seems that this is
 becoming a tradition. 
 We had a wonderful meal, 
good conversation and 
great views...






...after dinner
 a stroll on the wharf
 with more wonderful sights...
















Just every day life 
in Santa Cruz!

We were blessed 
when we lived in Santa Cruz 
most of our young lives and 
doubly blessed that we can return 
to enjoy it again with 
our beautiful family...









...and that we can 
bring a bit of the beach
 back to the mountains.



...Judy...





Happy Birthday, Tami. 
 Love you to the moon.






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