Linda Hoye's Blog, page 177

Still Life | Real Life

The Be Still – Fifty Two class is a study in still life photography. Still as in quieting ourselves and being still; and still as in photographing groupings of inanimate objects.

The object of the lesson I worked on today was to document our life by capturing real life images.

I worked in silence today snapping images inside the house, on my back deck, and in my front yard. I photographed chairs, vignettes around the house, laundry hung to dry, potted plants, and assorted ephemera of my life.

As I was working in Lightroom on the post processing, inspiration struck and I pulled some similar images together–images that are so much a part of me.

Still life, and very much my real life these days.

 

Being Still With Nature

I’m behind in the Be Still – Fifty Two class but I’m not stressing about it. Stressing would defeat the purpose of a class that’s all about taking time for quiet, being still, breathing, and finding a place of peace in which to create; so I’m muddling along and trusting that I’ll catch up when I catch up.

I’m working on an assignment this week that’s all about finding inspiration in nature. This afternoon I picked a few wild flowers and other assorted weeds and played with them a bit. I’ve seen some amazing photographs done with simple wild flowers and I haven’t achieved what I want to just yet. Still, I like the fact that I’ve found beauty and inspiration in, what most would consider, weeds by the side of the road and I’m looking forward to playing around more with this concept. These are the same blue hued flowers I photographed a couple of weeks ago. I love seeing the field below our home turn blue when they begin blooming in early spring; they’re almost finished now.

Then I grabbed my camera and enjoyed the nature in my very own yard. So much inspiration to be found in the plants I’ve been tending and enjoying right here at home! Here’s the one I like best from this afternoon taken of a sprig of coral bells (heuchera). This is a plant that I wouldn’t have given a second glance to a few years ago but now is one of my favourites.

I’m hoping for a photography day tomorrow so perhaps I’ll be back with a few more images to share.

Sticking My Foot In My Mouth

“What’s that sock doing on the dresser?”

I suspected I knew the reason; I was almost afraid to ask; but I posed the question to Gerry first thing this morning anyway.

“I need to do your father’s trick,” he replied.

This sock that somehow landed atop my dresser was no ordinary sock. It was one of a pair he purchased for his hiking adventures. It was a wool sock; a thick sock; and yes, an expensive sock.

A few days ago I had occasion to open up a trunk that had belonged to my parents and it prompted a meandering afternoon down memory lane. During that time I told hubby about my dad’s habit of darning his own socks. He kept an old cardboard box that once contained chocolates in the middle drawer of his dresser. The chocolates were long since consumed and that worn box ended up containing darning needles, scissors, slips of various coloured yarns, and a burnt out incandescent light bulb. I can picture Dad sitting on the edge of his bed, a darning needle in his hand, his attention on repairing the hole in a sock that he had inserted the light into.

“Do you know how to do it?” I asked Gerry.

He smiled an impish grin: “I guess I will find out.”

Now, I could have kept my mouth shut; perhaps I should have kept my mouth shut. Instead somehow, after a conversation that had me offering helpful tips and suggestions, the entire thing came back to where I knew it would when I first saw the sock on the dresser: me volunteering to attempt to darn the sock.

I wonder if YouTube has any video lessons about darning? I wonder if I can even find a burnt out–or not–incandescent light bulb anywhere?

It’s a new week and I have a new challenge. Woo hoo.

 

The May 21 Garden

I spent a pleasant hour or so at the garden early this morning. I wasn’t alone–others were getting a head start on what promises to be a 30 C degree today as well. We worked in companionable silence as we tended our respective gardens. I harvested lettuce for supper; planted more beans, radishes, and beets; spread some coffee grounds I’ve been saving; and pulled a few weeds. Bliss.

I love the community garden. It’s fulfilling to place tiny seeds in the ground, watch them grow and eventually to harvest healthy and organic food. I appreciate the ‘community’ piece of getting to know, and learning from, other gardeners. There’s the physical health benefit of working outside and, perhaps best of all, the emotional and mental health benefits of meditative gardening.  All of this AND you end up with the delicious and healthy produce that you’ve grown yourself. What’s not to love about all of that?

Here’s a look at how my garden looks today, on this unseasonably warm day in May.

The lettuce (Tom Thumb, Drunken Woman, Amish Deer Tongue) is doing well. We’ll be enjoying some of the Tom Thumb butterhead lettuce with dinner this evening.

The spinach is also doing well. We’ve enjoyed a couple of feasts of spinach salad this week.

I’m having some trouble with the peas this year. Between the migrating birds feasting on them and the, perhaps less than good, soil where I planted them, they’re just not up to where I’d like to see them by now. Couple that with the fact that I somehow mixed up the seeds and some Aladdin Bush Peas ended up with my Alderman Tall Telephone peas and it’s just a mess this year. I may end up having to rip them up before they reach their full potential as I’ve got other plans for that space as the season moves forward. We do have a few pods of the bush peas forming already though.

The beans are doing well (middle of the photograph below). This morning I put a few more seeds in the ground to fill up some of the gaps in the rows. My Sunburst scallopini is doing well–it’s my first year for that variety of squash. Also my first year growing cucumber: Marketmore  and Crystal Apple.

With this heat we’re having things will take off even more in the coming weeks. I’ll be puttering, transplanting, tending, and finding all manner of joy in this little plot of ground. It truly is the simple things that bring the most fulfillment.

Time Traveling

This morning I opened up an old steamer trunk and stepped into the past. The trunk once belonged to my parents and is filled with ephemera from days long ago.

I carefully read through a yellowed and torn copy of The Harvey Herald dated July 28, 1927 where the front page story told that “after a nice refreshing rain, on an ideal Sunday morning, automobiles from Harvey and the neighborhood ploughed through the mud to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gustav Brauer seven miles west of Harvey to celebrate their golden wedding together with relatives and outside friends about 300 in all.”  My nine-year-old dad served as gift bearer at the ceremony.

I held Dad’s army uniform and marveled at the small waist size on the pants. I looked at photographs of him wearing that same dress uniform. I opened the box containing his medals and remembered him sitting on the edge of his bed polishing them every November 11th. I read through his Canadian Army Soldier’s Service and Pay Book–a book that he was instructed to keep on his person at all times. Tucked inside the front cover were a few photographs, an inside page listed his next of kin, and subsequent pages his service records and last will and testament.

I carefully unfolded a thin and yellowing piece of paper with the heading BBC News 8 May 45  that appeared to be a transcription of a radio broadcast. I got a lump in my throat as I read the first lines.

Today is Victory in Europe Day. The official announcement will be broadcast by Mr. Churchill at 1300 hours G.M.T. At 1900 hrs G.M.T. the King will broadcast to his people. The King has sent his congratulations to General Eisenhower on the success of the Allied Armies.

I lost myself for an hour or so reading through a stack of letters Dad wrote to Mom before, and just after, they married in 1948. Dad was always a prolific letter writer right until he died. These letters were filled with news of his day, expressions of love for my mom, and even his own unique sense of humour. (“I just washed my hair and I can’t do a THING with it.”) I admired Mom’s wedding dress, smiled over their wedding invitation, guest list, cards from well-wishes, lists of gifts received, and read a newspaper clipping telling of the day’s events. There was even a letter from the hotel in Winnipeg confirming their reservation for the day after the wedding, and many photographs.

I admired stacks of beautiful handkerchiefs that once belonged to my grandma, wrapped myself in Mom’s heavy seal skin fur coat, held a baby’s red winter coat and bonnet that had been mine, and laughed as I lifted a little doll I had once named “Eddie” from the bottom of the trunk.

Then I picked up a bottle of Dad’s aftershave–Roman Brio–that I took home with me 32 years ago after he died suddenly. I was almost surprised to find it still contained liquid and, as I twisted the cap, I wondered what it would smell like after all these years. Tears came to my eyes as I held the bottle to my nose and memories of my dad filled the room. It smelled exactly the same; it smelled just like my dad.

The original reason for my foray into the past was that I was looking for some things to use in the still life family portrait project I mentioned yesterday. I had intended to spend the afternoon taking pictures but instead I lost myself in the past, learned some things I hadn’t known before, and Mom and Dad became alive for me again after so many years.

One day I’ll have to get rid of these things that are priceless to me, but for the time being I’ll tuck them all back inside the trunk for safekeeping where they’ll stay until I have occasion to travel back in time again.

Cloudy Day

It’s cool here today–a contrast to the unseasonably warm weather we’ve been enjoying–and I’ve spent the afternoon indoors.

I’ve been thinking about the women who attended the writing group I facilitated for a few years when we lived in Washington State and the stories we shared. Perhaps it’s time for me to start a similar group here–or the O.W.L. (Older Women’s Legacy) group I was planning before I retired. We’re heading into summer so it might not be the best time to start something; on the other hand it might turn out to be the best time of all. We’ll see.

On the photography front I’ve become smitten with the look of back lighting in my photographs. I think it gives a dreamy, kind of ethereal look, to images and it complements perfectly the simplicity I like to capture. Yesterday I walked down the ridge behind our home and collected a handful of wild flowers to photograph.  Weeds can make beautiful subjects, don’t you think? Simplicity at its best.

I’ve got some ideas percolating for a photo series based on the most recent prompt from the Be Still – Fifty Two class. We’re doing still life family portraits. Interesting, yes? I’ve got some prepping and planning to do for these photos and I’m excited about possibilities. Hope I’ll have some images to share in the next day or so.

All in all it’s been a relatively quiet, reflective, wistful type of day. Clouds have that effect on me.

Here’s to warm and sunshiny days ahead!

 

 

Fish Heads, Fish Heads

It’s been a glorious day in the garden! I planted six of the tomato plants I started from seed back in March, three pepper plants also started from seed, and I sowed another row of radishes. It’s mid-May, the weather forecast is amazing, and we’re full-on into gardening mode here in the ‘Loops!

What does any of that have to do with fish heads? Well nothing really but, in the absence of fish heads, fish fins and other random fishy parts have stepped in to fill the need.

Last August Gerry returned from a very-successful salmon fishing trip with enough fish to see us through the winter. In fact, we feasted on the last of the frozen salmon last week and I’ve just one more pint of canned salmon on the shelf. When we were filleting the fish last summer, and packaging it up to store away, I saved the fins and other random parts and tucked them in the back of the freezer looking ahead to this year’s garden. Last evening I retrieved them from the freezer and put them in the refrigerator to thaw as today was to be the day I needed them.

This morning, bright and early, I headed down the hill to my community garden plot. The back of my car was filled with assorted gardening paraphernalia, six tomato plants, three pepper plants, a mason jar filled with crushed eggshells I’ve been saving over the winter, a little jar of aspirin, and my fish parts.

The garden was hopping this morning–seems like lots of folks agreed with me that it was a great day to be in the garden!–and it was that!

First order of business was to plant my tomatoes so I removed the heavy-duty tomato cages that Gerry made for me this year from their places marking where I planned to plant. Then I dug deep, very deep holes for each plant and added eggshells, two aspirin, and the fish parts. (I had planned to also add a handful of worm castings but I spread what the worms have gifted me with so far this year over the entire tomato growing area last week instead.)

I covered this concoction with an inch or so of soil and then carefully placed the tomato plant into its new home. Tomato growing season has officially started!

Elsewhere in the garden the lettuce is doing well–especially the Tom Thumb lettuce I started as part of my winter sowing experiment. I’ll definitely be doing that again next year.

The spinach is coming along–despite having been pecked at by a marauding band of migrating birds



My peas are struggling a bit. I’m not sure if its because many tiny shoots were plucked by the same band of migrating birds or if there’s an issue with the soil in this area of the garden. Anyway, I’ve done a second sowing and it seems to be coming along nicely.



All in all, I spent a pleasant and fulfilling couple of hours planting, tending, and enjoying my garden this morning. Sheer bliss!

A few years ago, in 2012, I wrote about the trials of gardening, including my foray into trying to grow tomatoes from seed, on a GLOG (Gardening Blog) I started called A Grandma’s Garden. There’s a lot of photos of the flower and vegetable gardens I had in the Pacific Northwest over there. Pleasant memories, to be sure.

I’ve learned a lot in the years since then and I continue to learn more every year. That’s the joy of gardening–constant learning, trial and error, and a delicious harvest at the end of the season. There’s a lot to love about that!

Now, how ’bout having a quick listen to The Fish Head Song. Who knows? You might end up with that little ditty running around in your head like it is in mine. Sorry ’bout that.

Being Still

I’ve been busy–as evidenced by my absence from this blog. Nothing in particular going on. Just life.

And so when circumstances conspired to give me the gift of a day filled with nothing but silence and solitude I gratefully accepted it with open hands.

I took advantage of the time to play with a couple of prompts from the most recently lesson in Be Still – Fifty Two class.

The first: laundry.

I was delighted to have an opportunity to play with some of the ephemera I had rescued from my grandma’s tiny house a number of years ago before everything was sold off. They were perfect subjects for this prompt.

The next prompt I chose to work with was cuppa.

I considered different interpretations of this prompt as I stepped outside in the cool morning air and saw the columbine near the front door. Columbine is not my favourite flower in fact, truth be told, I tried unsuccessfully to eradicate if from the garden last year. I snipped a few blossoms and I saw them with a fresh set of eyes; they seemed simple and old-fashioned to me. Perfect.

As I tied the stems together with a rough piece of twine and I was reminded of a box of letters I had downstairs. I retrieved the box and spent a pleasant half hour or so browsing through it and reading letters written to me by my parents at various times over the years. Simple . . . news about their day . . . insight into their thoughts . . . treasures.

I couldn’t help but smile at my mom’s sense of humour as I read her words at the end of one letter: I was going to send you some money but I had already sealed the envelope. A small scrap of paper attached to the back of the letter with a note indicating she had, indeed, included a small bit of cash to be spent on something special just for me after all.

And so, my solitary and silent day went on. More photography, a bit of reading, tending plants outside, enjoying the still moments I was gifted with.

Tomato Update

Well, I moved my tomato seedlings outside for the first time yesterday afternoon to begin the process of hardening them off in preparation for planting next month.  They’ve been in my makeshift greenhouse under lights indoors until now and they’re rapidly outgrowing their abode. I realized that I need to make some adjustments to the shelves to give them more room so it was the perfect time to begin acclimatizing them to the out-of-doors. They spent a couple of hours outside in a relatively sheltered spot and, day by day, I’ll increase the time they spend outdoors until they’re ready to be planted.

A few years ago I chronicled my foray into attempting to grow tomatoes from seed. It hasn’t been a simple journey. I’ve learned about the benefits of heat mats, what to do after the seeds sprout, the importance of giving adequate light, the benefit of letting a light breeze blow over the plants for a time during each day, and how to plant them in the garden to ensure the strongest plants. I’ve learned a lot; I’m still learning; and I’m having a great time in the process.

Today I’m going to fill you in on the varieties of tomatoes I’m growing this year. The opportunity to grow heirloom varieties that you won’t find at your local plant store is one of the great advantages of growing tomatoes from seed. Last year I started saving seeds from my plants too, ensuring that I’ll be able to grow the varieties we love and pass them along to fellow tomato connoisseurs in the years to come.

All of the plants I’m growing this year are of the indeterminate variety which means they set fruit throughout the season on tall vine-like plants (as opposed to determinate plants that set fruit once on short plants) and require strong cages or stakes as you can see from this photo from the July 6 garden last year.

 

Here’s the lineup for the 2015 garden:
Sungold

I grew these for the first time last year and was delighted with them! They’re sweet and delicious, unlike any other tomato I’ve tasted. You may recall the Sungold Tomato Jam recipe I wrote about last summer. We’re still enjoying that jam and growing these again this year is a must so we can make more of it. These tomatoes may be small (like cherry tomatoes) but the plants are not. They grow on vines that are reported to reach 6-8 feet in length. I didn’t realize that last year and ended up with a tangled mess of tomato vines. Definitely plan on a better support structure this year! Here more information about the Sungolds.

Black Krim

These large, dark, and delicious tomatoes were also a big hit last year in sandwiches, salads, and simply eaten au natural. I do believe that it was a Black Krim that was the first tomato to ripen last year. More information about the Black Krims here.

Brandywine

Brandywines are the classic heirloom tomato and the first variety I attempted to grow from seed a few years ago. The fruit is large and beautiful; the plants prolific. Read more about the classic Brandywine here.

Federle

This is my first year to grow Federle tomatoes. They’re reported to be a productive plant yielding a paste tomato that’s about 7 inches long. I’m planning on using these for sauce and salsa. More information here.

Yellow Pear

I saw these for the first time last year in someones plot at the community garden and was intrigued enough to want to give them a go this year. More information here.

I have many more plants than I will have room for in my garden and will be gifting family and friends with plants in a few weeks. Part of the reason for this post is to let local folks know what I’ll have available so if you live near me and want a plant (or two or three) please contact me via the contact form here on this blog, Facebook messenger, or email and let me know.

Also, wanted to let you know about a new page I created on Facebook where I’ll be talking about essential oils–what I’m learning, how I’m using them–and creating a dialog with others who are interested in the topic. If you’re interested in learning more about essential oils c’mon over and “like” my new page at https://www.facebook.com/LindaHoyeYoungLivingEssentialOils. Would love to see you there!

Our Homes

I’m thinking of my daughter-in-love today. Over the weekend she, her hubby, and two beautiful children, moved out of the house they’ve called home for over six years. It was, predictably, bittersweet. While she looks forward with anticipation toward the new home they are building, the precious memories associated with the home they are leaving tug at her heart making it difficult to say goodbye.

After all of the hustle and bustle of moving was over, her little family spent some time alone honouring their time in that home. They walked through every room and shared special memories with one another and then wrote a note–illustrated with drawings–and left it with a gift for the new homeowners. I’m tearing up even as I write about their ritual as I imagine the four of them walking through the empty rooms.

I’m reminded about the time Gerry and I moved into the first house we would share together. When we walked in together to the empty house we found a bouquet of flowers and a note from the former homeowners welcoming us to our new home. There were tears flowing then too–tears of joy for a future I hadn’t dared imagine and yet was blessed to be looking forward to.

Three times since that day I’ve left flowers and a “Welcome Home!” note for the new owners on the counter top of an empty house we were leaving. I’ve found the simple gesture to be a way of honouring our time in the home with gratitude and it has helped ease our transition.

We put so much of ourselves into our homes as we change this-and-that, decorate it according to our own tastes, clean it, care for it, raise our families, and simply live our daily lives within it’s walls. Every home has its distinct idiosyncrasies–things that annoy us, things that we wish we could change–yet as we learn to adapt and make these things work for our families our homes become an extension of us.

About forty years ago I read a little book by Marjorie Holmes called Love and Laughter. It was a compilation of, what the publisher called, “Mother’s wisdom on every day things”. There was a little story in that book where the author reflected on the woman who had formerly lived in her house. That story has stuck with me all these years as I’ve thought about the women who have cared for houses I’ve long since left behind and those who cared for houses I lived in at the time. Different people, different lives, even different times, yet bound together simply by the home we’ve tended together.

This morning I’m thinking back to all of the houses I’ve left over the course of my life, starting with the house that Dad built that we moved from when I was twelve. If memory serves, there have been nine farewells–ten if you count my parent’s house that I cleaned out and sold after Mom died suddenly. Some of the leavings were filled with joy, others marred with sorrow, all were washed with bittersweet tears as I walked through the door for the last time.

I read somewhere that a home left empty for more than a short period of time begins to deteriorate. That makes sense to me. A home is so much more than wood, and nails, and whatever else it’s built out of. The lives that are lived with its walls are the real glue that holds a home together; every family that lives there adds something unique to its patina.

Some simple things I’m thinking about as I putter around my home this morning, tidying, cleaning, adding my adding my own touch, making it ever more mine for this season.