Watercolor class

 I took a very inexpensive watercolor class  from Alex Kincaid last week.  The classes were via Zoom call, with recordings of the classes available later.  

Alex is a good teacher albeit a little heavy on the rah-rah talk.  

These are two postcards I made after the first two classes.   I sent them to friends just to say "hi" and that I'm thinking about them.   I haven't seen one of them in years but keep up with her via a mutual friend.  The other is an older friend that I visit in her Assisted Living apartment every week or so.  

Hibiscus - raw edge applique with thread painting

I recently took a class from Susan Knight and made this sweet hibiscus applique block. 

As usual for a class, I used fabric that I already had, but this time I think it worked well.

Since most of my walls are full, I turned the block into a pillow for the recliner in my living room.
 

Starting my Ninth Decade

 I celebrated my fifth sixteenth birthday.  (I do love the hexadecimal base system. )

Instead of a big party, I had several small ones.   

First, I had a visit from my grandson Jack.  He made a very quick visit from Minneapolis.   We had dinner at his Mom's house, cupcakes with candles, and he gave me a planter with an unknown green plant.  The planter is in the shape of a bull and the plant is kind of ivy-like.   It's growing nicely.

At the monthly  meeting of my Round Rock quilting group, the Pebbles@Round Rock, we had Texas sheet cake for me and Marilyn, who will turn 75 before the next meeting.

On  the day before my birthday,  my friends-of-long-standing Carolyn and Susan treated me, my daughter Martha, and my friend Susan to lunch at Gloria's, at the Domain.   We had a great time.    -

That afternoon,  Tiff's Treats  delivered. cookies from my son-in-law Luke.  Still warm.

That's them on my table with the planter  from my grandson Jack  and the birthday table mat that my friend Rita made for me many, many years ago. 

On the  morning of my birthday, my neighbor and friend Brady brought me a bag filled with goodies from him and his husband Daniel.  A purple plush elephant. Incense.  Body lotion.  Puzzle book.   That was a real surprise.   It's really nice to have neighbors that become friends.

There was a text wishing me a Happy Birthday from my first ex-husband (Dick) and an email from my second (David).

My grandson Aaron called from Louisiana, with several of his children chiming in on the birthday song.

My cousin Shirley, who is 89, called, as did my former sister-in-law Laura.

My sewing friends took me and Marilyn to Austin Creative Reuse on the actual day of my birthday for some shopping and a Tex Mex lunch.   Thank you, Linda, Kitty, and Jude!

My last celebration was lunch at the Top Notch, with my sister Diane, my brother-in-law Frank, and my niece-and-goddaughter Debbi.

.  

Turning 80 isn't so bad !

Blue Eyed Grass

 Earlier this summer, I discovered a street in my neighborhood that was lined with blue-eyed grass between the street and the sidewalk.

This is one of my favorite wildflowers.

Climate change? Or just strange weather?

This year my Iris plants didn't bloom at all.

But my Columbine did.

Don't know what's going on here....

Flowers from Luke

 I helped my daughter and son-in-law buy a house last week.   After all the signing was done at the closing, he pulled out a bouquet from under the table.   Thanking me for making it possible to get a new home.  

A week later, they're even more beautiful.

I hope that their marriage will be the same - unfolding into better and better beauty.

Spring is on the way

It's early February, but my narcissus are blooming. 

These were passalongs from my sister, who probably got them from my mother long ago.   

I'd love to bring some inside but I find their fragrance overwhelming after a short time. 

I love yellow

 My daughter, who stages homes for a  living, gave me these yellow flowers a while back.   I think they look good with the little quilt that I made to test out a new pattern.

Abstracted Monarch

Finished this wall hanging last night.   It will go into the quilt show in Georgetown this next weekend.

It was based on a photograph by Steve Schwartzman

https://portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com/2017/11/11/relentless-relenting/

and used techniques learned in a workshop by Katie Pasquini Masopust.


Basically, it's just a fancy log cabin. 

Spring is coming

Spring is coming.  My very first bluebonnet is blooming.
I planted quite a few seeds last year.  This plant and one other came up.  I'm hoping it will be the start of a lot of blue!

The ajuga has a few blooms.  It's doing very well in that very shaded area by the back door.

And the iris are starting, too.

These are all pass-alongs from my sister, who got them from my mother.  

One little poppy made it this year - my sister gave me this seed, too.  But her poppies are in full sun and are glorious. Mine is kind of shy.





Also blooming in my backyard is the pot of kalanchoe and the hen-and-chicks .

The Bowl is not Empty!

The Empty Bowls project hosts a sale in Round Rock this year.  For sale are bowls made by area children; the proceeds go to the food pantry.   It's held at a primary school, with pottery demonstrations, music from school groups, and general celebration.

I've been meaning to go for years, and finally made it.  I bought one bowl (it came with a side of soup) that was interesting - kind of flat, metallic gray on the inside, pastel and lumpy on the outside, and with a chip in the rim.  It doesn't photograph well.  But it sits on my coffee table and reminds me that I have food to eat whenever I want.  Food of my own choosing. Nutritious food or frivolous food.

I also bid on a little heart shaped red bowl at the silent auction.  I don't know if the hole in the bottom was intentional, but the sale organizers made a silk purse out of a sow's ear by adding a begonia in just the right color and calling it a planter.

Yesterday I got the call that I had one this sweet little piece and I was very pleased  I may have to transplant the begonia into something larger, but for now, it will grace my table and make me smile.

Spring 2015

My iris have been wonderful this year.  I've shared with a number of friends and they are still plentiful.
They only last a day after being picked, but the buds will bloom if left in the water.

My ajuga bed is full of blooms, too.  I had bought about a half dozen plants from the nursery at Bee Caves and Mopac when they went out of business.  Ajuga can be invasive, but these are confined to a bed bordered by sidewalk and decomposed granite pathway.  I've been sharing with my sister, and can afford to thin out more for friends later this year.

Some of the iris came from my daughter's yard - they put in a patio and passed the plants on to me.  

Others came from my sister, who had gotten them from my Mother's yard.  So the iris are a family thing.   

I planted one plant by each post and one more halfway between.  They have really spread.  My neighbor on the other side of the fence is enjoying some, too.

I have plans to share when the blooming stops and it's time to divide them up.

Only in Texas

My friend Kay took this amazing picture of her bluebonnet plants the other day.  It was five degrees below freezing and the bluebonnet plants were iced over.  What a fascinating picture.

Victoria, B.C.

My friend Karen and I went to Canada for a couple of days getaway.  Her husband drove us up to the ferry, then we had about a two hour cruise up to Victoria.

Our first excursion was to Butchart Gardens, which was really incredible.

Mr. Bun was delighted to experience the heliotrope!




The Sunken Gardens were especially stunning.
It was just amazing to me to see such greenery and blooms in mid-August.

The beds were interplanted with several kinds of flowers each, often bordered with dusty miller.



The colors were just spectacular.

The fountain in the Sunken Garden was fabulous.  Beautifully configured to dance and play.


Very short video of the fountain below ------

After a good seafood dinner and a good nights sleep, we visited the Parliment buildings and enjoyed the stained glass windows.                            

 We walked around the town, especially enjoying the arts and crafts booths at the inner harbor.  There are some great houses in the area.

In the afternoon, we had tea at the Empress hotel. Lovely tea, finger sandwiches, scones, and sweets.  A most attentive waiter, Bradley.

June Flowers

Here are the flowers I found in my yard this week.

The five petaled purple/pink one is about 3/4 inches across.  It's a volunteer weed, actually.

The five petaled pink one with the yellow 3D center is a Rock Rose.   Maybe two inches across?

This little yellow one will grow in pure granite chips and is very, very small.  And very, very persistant.






There's a rat-tail cactus blooming in a four-inch pot.  This one is a really striking red-orange.

By the west fence, a volunteer horsemint peeks out from the iris foliage.

And in the garden a squash plant blooms.











And way out back there are Indian Blankets hugging the gas meter and tall blue sage blooming away behind them.