Petals, Project and Purl

This summer has been zipping by, with an unusual mixture of cool and hot, humid days. Last night, a couple of thunder storms passed through. The garden is looking a bit straggly, but there are still colours to enjoy. What, pray tell, is a good way to keep weeds from springing up between patio bricks? I have a hearty crop of them that need attention!

I decided to knit a little something, for fun, this summer. It isn't completed just yet, but I hope to finish it soon. Then I'll let you know from whom I bought the pattern, a blogger in England. The soft colours relate to some in the garden, so I include them here.

On the cat fostering front, Purl is still with me. It's been just over 3 months since she moved in and made herself at home. Luckily, thunder storms don't phase her in the least. She's a lovely girl, but she hasn't had any serious interest yet. Here's hoping for a boost in cat and dog adoptions this month.

Blogging has taken a back seat to other things, but I thought I'd participate in Judith's Mosaic Monday today.

Have a wonderful week.

-Karen

More Peonies

There is something about peonies. They are just so extravagant: big, blowsy and beautifully fragrant. They swirl into spring, elegantly dressed in pinks, first these ones, then my deep rose-coloured variety and finally the creamy ones which are still tightly bound buds in the front garden. In the collage above are the old-fashioned kind that fall over with their own weight and dance along the surface of the grass. Especially today, with heavy rain this morning and more to come later. My mother always said a downpour was guaranteed when peonies were in bloom.

I wonder what readers who live in warmer climes think about the adoration so many northerners have for peonies, these hardy plants that will live for a hundred years. Maybe that is a significant part of their appeal; they not only cope with the seasons, they appreciate the cold weather.

Yesterday found me sitting on the ground and breathing in the scent from these lush beauties. I was supposed to be weeding. I get the strangest things taking up residence in my yard, uninvited. At one point, my hands were stinging after grabbing a mystery plant to remove it and finding the little hairs on it had the inclination to fight back. There is a reason why people wear gardening gloves. Lesson learned.


Some of my peonies have wandered indoors, one by my bedside and a bouquet by the apple tortes that were cooling for a potluck dinner in the countryside at the animal rescue site. (You met my new foster, Purl, in my last post.)

I hope you're enjoying whatever is blooming at your home or in your region.

With pleasure, I'm joining Judith for Mosaic Monday.

Thank you for visiting. 

Karen

Peonies, Dames Rocket and Introducing Purl

There is nothing like the start of peony season, at least in my garden, to motivate a person to produce a blog post. Poppy, from Poppy View, recently mentioned in an email that she hoped I'd share some soon. She is such an encouraging and thoughtful person.

Being a bit mad for peonies, more will follow. I'll wait till they are wildly abundant before I pick any. Although, perhaps just one on my bedside table might be an idea . . .

In the "silly me" department, I'd thought these were phlox and had been purchased as such at a plant sale some years ago. Claudia, from Mockingbird Hill Cottage, recently showcased hers and identified them as Dames Rocket. One distinguishing characteristic between the 2 plants, she wrote, was that Dames Rocket has four petals and phlox has five.

Either way, it is pretty.

One more peony photo before I introduce you to my current foster cat, who moved in about five weeks ago.

Meet Purl, a 6-year-old lovely girl, mostly gleaming black with a touch of white below her throat and a couple of white patches on her underside. Purl, for various reasons unrelated to her sweet self, has been in a few foster homes and has been with the animal rescue group for over a year. Needless to say, I've been slapping up pictures of her on the animal rescue Facebook page in an attempt to catch the eye of someone who can offer her a wonderful home. I'll keep you posted.

Thank you for visiting!
Karen

Long Time No See

Blogging has taken a back seat to other things, but it's time to dive in and join with Judith for Mosaic Monday. The photos are from awhile ago, when nothing but snowdrops were outdoors and crocuses bloomed inside.

 An amaryllis flower joined them, months after Christmas.

With weather fluctuations, comfort food in the form of whole wheat buns, cinnamon twirls and post-Easter French pea soup filled the house with good aromas.

The forsythia has yet to flower outside, but branches came indoors, vibrant yellow flowers arrived and then faded away, as have the snowdrops and crocuses in the garden.

For those who had followed the story of my foster cat, Cameo, the news is great. She was adopted into a wonderful home; one of her roommates is a certified therapy dog! I have a special place in my heart for the people who took in a 9 year cat. Better with age, right?

Have a lovely week.

~Karen

☀Sunlit Sunday: The Final Week

It's 7 pm as I write this, there's daylight outside, the Mourning Doves are cooing and the sky is blue! That must mean it's time to wrap up ☀Sunlit Sunday for another season. Thank you for linking and/or visiting the posts you've found here.

I may not have anything but snowdrops in the garden, but there will be crocuses blooming soon, at least inside. These one are now in pretty pottery pots.

My indoor garden remains a bit confused about the time of year. The shamrock is producing a few blooms, in a nod to St. Patrick's Day past.

The amaryllis flower will open soon. There was a second one, but in moving the pot from one spot to another I knocked it off the stem. Arghhh! I saved it, though, and it's sitting in a bit of water. I'll see what happens. Maybe it will still think it's Christmastime and unfurl its petals.

As for my foster girl, Cameo, she has begun a second week of her Extended Visit. She's a big hit with the people in the household of the applicant; they're hoping a second week will have her be more open to the presence of the dog. Cameo has been content to curl up in laps, get petted and brushed and hasn't seen the need to become further acquainted with the other 4 footed resident! The story continues . . .

It's your turn, now. Even if you haven't participated before, you're welcome to do so for this final ☀Sunlit Sunday for 2015.

An InLinkz Link-up

☀Sunlit Sunday: The Penultimate Week

Happy Spring! It has officially arrived here and most of the snow has melted away. It was time to pull out the rabbit and hang the wreath on the door.

Even better, it was time to admire the snowdrops that have finally bloomed, little clumps of them here and there in the garden. Whatever the sky may say, it's a sunny day when those first shoots pop out of the ground.

A couple of snowdrops made in it indoors for closer inspection and just to celebrate the new season's arrival.

Such a simple thing can bring such pleasure.

On the foster front, last night Cameo went on her Extended Visit to the home of a lovely woman who applied for her. The Meet and Greet last Saturday, which included her dog, was a success. Now it's a matter of seeing how Cameo fits into her home and, more specifically, whether the cat accepts living with the dog. He is used to cats; we'll see if Cameo adjusts to him. She certainly likes people! The EV is scheduled for a week, but can be adjusted if need be. It's quite the process; 2 volunteers there last evening, dealing with paperwork and answering/asking questions. That was another bright spot in the week, seeing a couple of volunteers give up part of their Friday evening (after working all week) to help with animal rescue. It warms my heart.

Your turn. This is the second last week of Sunlit Sunday.

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☀Sunlit Sunday: Week 11

Life is a little bit full right now, so I'll be brief. My sunny news of the week is that Cameo had a "Meet and Greet" today. She met a lovely woman and her very large Golden rescue who is a certified therapy dog. He visits hospitals and seniors. Isn't that great?

The visit went well, so a home visit will be scheduled next in order to see if the critters can live happily under the same roof. Cross your fingers, please! This nine year old kitty may just have some Irish luck going for her!

I will get around to visit the posts I missed from last week and all from this set. I do apologize for being so painfully slow this year in getting back to you!

Your turn, now.

An InLinkz Link-up

☀Sunlit Sunday: Week 10

I have a bit of a hodgepodge of photos this week. In lieu of just literal sunshine, I'm including things that bring on a sunny mood. For example, last week Lorrie (of Fabric Paper Thread) shared her recipe for Carrot Ginger Soup and I had a lovely time puttering in the kitchen making it. It's delicious, by the way!

After baking many chicken pieces one afternoon, more kitchen puttering the next day led to a rather old school chicken casserole. Warm, comfort food on a cold day just works.

It's seems I've fallen into a food theme at this point. Another day, another place to put some chicken. I gather you can tell the photo was an afterthought, given the way things are splayed about on the plate. It was a tasty lunch, though, with mixed greens, red peppers, green apples, onions, chicken, and a sprinkling of crumbled blue cheese.

Moving on to non-edible greenery, this amaryllis is one I purchased for Christmas 2013. I put it outside the following summer, brought it back in when fall arrived and then neglected the poor thing. With nothing to lose, I've been watering it lately and things are happening. Maybe there will be an amaryllis for St. Patrick's Day!

If so, it will go well with the currently (out of season) blooming Christmas cactus. One thing about having a plant that has failed to produce more than a couple of flowers per year is that this person really appreciates it when it puts on a better show!

Always putting on a good show is my foster, even squinting in the sunshine. Just today, someone inquired about adopting a cat and one of the contenders she mentioned is 9 year old Cameo. I'll have to wait and see how this plays out, but it was wonderful to read that she did not care about the age of the cat she adopts. Now, that's a piece of sunny news!

Your turn. Remember, Sunlit Sunday will wind up at the end of March.
Have a lovely week.
-Karen

 

An InLinkz Link-up

☀Sunlit Sunday: Week 9

More colour. That's what I've been craving lately, so treated myself to an African violet to live in a favourite pottery container. My mother had a knack for keeping hers in bloom, but I've not had the same luck over the years. I'll try paying more attention this time!

My Christmas Cactus is blooming. I wouldn't say it's covered in blossoms, but given I've had 2 or 3 flowers a year in the past, I'm very happy with this development.

Some of you have been showing photos of what is springing up in your garden. I'll have to save this bulb to plant in mine come autumn.

I've been enjoying how the sunlight lingers on these bits of colour and how the lengthening daylight hours brighten up the early evening. I hope you're enjoying the light where you live.

It's your turn.

An InLinkz Link-up

☀Sunlit Sunday: Week 8

In the spirit of Sunlit Sunday and embracing winter, about a half dozen of us met up for a hike in one of the local conservation areas this past Thursday. It was in the minus twenties (Celsius), a beautiful cold and crisp day. While former colleagues bemoaned a day of indoor recesses, the former teacher contingent felt rather privileged to be enjoying nature on such a day.

Indoors, my bouquet of tulips is getting a bit tattered, but they made for some interesting and distinct shadows on a sunny plaster wall.

Sun or shade, Cameo doesn't care as long as she has someone to pet or brush her.

I hope you're enjoying the winter. (Or summer, if you blog from the other hemisphere!) Remember, Sunlit Sunday is meant to celebrate our current season. You're invited to link your post for others to enjoy. The sunshine needn't be literal!

Have a lovely new week.
-Karen

 

An InLinkz Link-up

☀Sunlit Sunday: Week 7

It was time to treat myself to a bouquet of tulips. Call it a Valentine's gift to myself or just a small mid-winter investment in blooms, I'm enjoying them.

My own garden is snow-covered and I like to think that the shoveling I've been doing is good for the heart and waistline. Luckily, the white stuff has been of the light and fluffy variety, except for the slushy piles that get deposited at the foot of the driveway by the snowploughs.

I saw some rabbit tracks the other day, but didn't grab my camera to photograph them and now they've vanished under some fresh flakes.

In other animal news, Cameo has clearly decided to help with the animal rescue Facebook page by plunking herself on my lap, next to the laptop. You can see her on the screen in the header. It'll be big news when someone adopts this 9 year old girl!

It's your turn to share a sunny post. 
Wishing you a lovely week,
Karen

An InLinkz Link-up