bee creative

Finding peace: The Koi pond.

I think there is a need to cut back on "decorating," both in our homes and gardens.  Particularly if those "things" don't have meaning past what image they present.  But there is a place and a need for things that feed the soul...

Added June 27th:  I've been thinking about this quite a bit lately and wanted to add that I don't think there is anything wrong with embellishing our homes and our lives (I am guilty of a lot of embellishment in my home, some would call it clutter.).  It's just that it should reflect who we are and be thoughtful in terms of how it impacts the environment.  So much of "decorating" seems to be be more about having what is popular at the moment. 

The path I'm walking right now

Will it ever stop raining....

Little short on time this week.  Just thought I'd share Lola's wish.

Of course, my thought is will we be happy with what we get when it does stop raining?

Reflecting on the year to come

Went for a walk down by the bay with my Mom and Dad today.  A very nice way to start the new year!

I also spent some time thinking about resolutions.  I'm not one to think they only should be made in January, but rather whenever appropriate.  However, the change of the calendar year is a good marker for reflecting and thinking about where to go next. So I do have some goals.  And they are:

1.  To become more comfortable riding my bike.  This will help make my bus/walk commute shorter and I'll still get exercise.

2.  To lose another 20 pounds or go down another size. 

3.  To stop eating treats from the co-op that are wrapped in plastic.

4.  To use my library card rather than buy books (even used).

5.  To use up all my fabric scraps in some productive way and then to keep scraps more organized.

6.  To continue to find ways to be sustainable/regenerative in my life style.

And of course, to continue being creative rather than just thinking about it...

Happy New Year everyone! 

Full moon in the morning

Although I've been cherishing the light the last couple days, I do find something special in the short days.   I like the coziness, I like that it slows me down.  I like that I can walk out the door at 7 AM and see the full moon in a dark sky.  I love all the lights.

What I've found though, is that I enjoy them a lot more when I'm home for the day.  It's hard to go to work in the dark and return in the dark.

Recycled materials:  paper bag and old journal.   

Change of season

Today was the last day for my local farmer's market until March.  Not a whole lot of vegetables left, mostly crafts.  Some squash, carrots, potatoes, apples, and beets.  And bread, honey and smoked salmon. That's about what is available at the co-op too.  One of our local farms is going to keep a stand open.  It will be interesting to see what they continue to have over the next 3 months.  Eating local is going to get challenging. 

Yesterday I took a walk down by the bay.  This is an area that was formally industrial and is now a park.  There is a lot of bricks and concrete mixed in with the rock.  The tide was really high.  It was easy to start thinking about cycles:  the tides, the moon, the seasons.  It seems strange to me that winter is the season when the light returns.  Winter is often thought of as cold and stormy (and can be), but it's also when the light comes back.  It's when buds on some of the trees will start to open.... 

Gardening on the shortest day of the year

I suppose it might seem a little crazy, but I spent part of the shortest day of the year, a day that was 28 degrees Fahrenheit when I woke up, sorting my seed collection and ordering seeds for next year's garden.  I bet I wasn't the only person doing this! 

This year I've decided to order seeds from Seed Savers.  I'll also get a few seeds from one of the local farms that has started selling seeds.   I generally spend 60-75 dollars a year on seeds (including garlic, onions, and potatoes), depending on what's low in my collection.  I very rarely plant a whole packet of anything, sometimes a packet will last me at least 2-3 years. This will end up giving me fresh vegetables for at least 6 months. 

If I were starting a seed collection I'd order peas, beans, lettuce, carrots, radishes,  a summer squash, and tomatoes (one cherry, one larger one good for canning).  I'd also add seed potatoes and onion sets to that. At this point I have a lot more than that though! 

In the past I've saved my own bean seeds and several different types of flowers.   One of my goals for 2008 is that I want to work on saving more varieties.  Seems like the smart thing to do!  If you want to read something scary about seed supplies check this link out.    

I also decided to visit one of our local nurseries.  It wasn't even possible for me to resist this primrose, probably grown at one of our local wholesale nurseries.  The yellow ones often have a sweet fragrance.  I'll keep this inside for a couple days and then put it outside.  I have a primrose that's been blooming since November in the garden, they are a happy thing in the winter!   Flowers are important in the garden.  Many are edible (although not always very good tasting in my opinion), they attract beneficial insects, and they lift the spirit. 

Because I'm keeping track of these things at the moment:

Time spent "gardening:"  1 hour
Money spent:  40 dollars

 

First snow of the year!

  "Let it snow, let it snow..."  I love snow.  I love it even more now that I don't own a car and I don't have to drive in it.  I either walk, take the bus, or get a ride.  If I can't get there, I can't get there.

I love it because we really only get snow about 2 or 3 times a year, so it is a special event.

I love it because it makes the world quieter, and softens the edges. 

And I love to sit by the window and watch it fall while I work on some project or another.

Today I worked on my "waste not, want not" basket.  I cut out stacks of squares and a sample block for the "rose star" quilt.

I decided that "rose star" needs to have consistent patterns of fabric, so it's not a good way to use up my fabric stash.  Ah well....

I did remember another good project for strips of fabric though.  A sort of log cabin type block.

I started with a larger center square and then added strips that fit.  I'm going to keep adding until I have a 12 inch square and then make a small pillow with it.  It will make a good gift for my holiday party for work. 

I also made a nice big pot of soup, perfect for the first snow day.   

 

Inspire Me Thursday-Gratitude

I'm also grateful to Inspire Me Thursday-it's helped me become more consistent in my efforts  to be more creative....  A new challenge that I'm setting for myself is that in every response to an Inspire Me Thursday prompt, I'm going to include something recycled.  I've done this pretty frequently, but am aiming to make it a  regular  part of what I'm doing.

 

Wet, wet, wet...

Walking in the rain is good for the soul...especially if you are on your way home and can change in to dry clothes and drink something hot!