I had left this untitled? Yet so much beauty abounds.Grateful.

It worked..it is SUNNY today!

And the rain pelted for and entire night and day..the gardens were left in disarray..
much to my dismay..

Ok too poetic..

a mess..hosta blooms knocked down..tomatoes engorged with water ..not sun nor warmth..
I communicated w/ my Smurf  seed purveyor and she attests a bad year so far for tomatoes..bounty may be late September..
they need the latter two things to turn..warmth and sun..

A lot of the gardens are finished already:(

Why why why why why..
is this year's summer  Jetsoning by?

Today is nice and I will clean up places..that look tired..Jacques will mow..

The dinner plate dahlias..are definitely not dinner plates..and not really my colors..but that's all they had:(

I cleaned all the garlic yesterday afternoon..quite a sight..
we love it's perfume in the house..
I cut the roots and stem..and gently rub to clean.
End of Oct I will plant..and the cycle starts again as long as I can.

I have saved one basket of 25 bulbs to plant which should give me a little over 100 next yr again God willing.
We eat it ALL.


We had a lovely visit yesterday..
I need time to write about it and not hurry the memory along.
Next post I hope.

We are celebratingAdamo's 18th birthday this weekend and Giuliana's 16th.
I am repeating myself endlessly..but talk about speed of light .
These two are such lovely young adults♥

I made a rolled carrot cake for Jacques..next time I will grate my carrots smaller..I used my mom's hand crank grater that I LOVE:)
But it made the cake extra moist..

You can find the recipe many places..in French at Isa's place and in English here.

Fun instead of a BIG cake:)

Thank you both for inspiring me to make this cake.

Have a lovely weekend!

Humido~humido..

Endless Summer~

 Don't you love their name?
Dancing With Smurfs♥

Astilbes~

Shasta Daisies,Hostas,Bluebells ,wild and invasive and tall,Geranium Rozanne  somewhere in there;),and sedums..the bleeding hearts and Irises are done..
this is where that small garden is.coming up to the front steps..

Susan's Strawberry~Rhubarb Pie~Delicious~

Frida and Alstromerias..They last so long! Thanks Caroline for the idea~

New addiction..orchids in bloom~

 Pretty Annabelle~

Iced Tea..Tea Forte method.

Goody Woody Cookies:) 5 star seller..♥

Lost in the giant Nicotinas..giants!!

Some sunshine..some humidity..some clouds..



The Earth Does Laugh In Flowers..

Our town is  dotted w/ so many flowers..

The ditch lillies line the streets.. along shore  road..up and down side streets..
the hostas are blooming like crazy..banner yr for Shasta Daisies,Hydrangeas and Astilbes..all water lovers I guess..more than drought:)

It's really just maintenance at this point..like cutting down many Irises..the feverfews..adding chicken manure here and there;)

Painting and Stitching and Baking  in between..

Do try Susan's pie while rhubarb and strawberries are so fresh~
Jacques loved it.

I see all the errors of my ways but what a fun stitching project right here..
I will make again and again..watching her of course..I am visual for crochet..
I started a few Christmas ornaments from a new seller..:(
NOT at all like Alicia's..however they will be gifted..w/ a bit of discomfort..there is no way I could get them to look ok..

one for each recipient..

get ready to laugh:(

I loved the little ritual of making Tea Forte iced tea..and was thrilled to make some for Noah after swimming..I made some for his mom..and his auntie..Noah said ..:"It tastes like pee"..we heard tea and said it is supposed to..he said..no..pee..LOL  and so much for my little feminine ritual.Even my girls weren't enchanted..I think my enchantment meter is very low...I get enchanted easily.
I just love that photo Caro took of me..because in reality I can't stand to see photos of me that are posed for more reasons than one.
I love taking photographs..and am respectful of those who don't want their photo taken..I like spur of the moment when someone doesn't know..and then I show them..well apart from my girls and their friends that can smile so genuinely on demand and cannot take bad photos..
never send family and friends bad photos of themselves..never lol..
I even keep some from J and family if they are not flattering..why?

ok back to the pic.I love it.

Tried painting it and tried thrice..)

Bottom left Artist loft sketchbook..plain paper not watercolor..Van Gogh..watercolors~

Top left a journal I love..watercolor paper  Field 6x6..Daniel Smith watercolors~

bottom right a paper from Sennelier in Paris ♥ ILOVEDTHATSTORE...and the large Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolor set I have~

then I tried again..lol..

Stonhenge Aqua watercolor paper (love it)and Sennelier watercolors..

So far it's the third I prefer.

Have I mentioned I love the quietude of painting?:)
Zen..meditation..calm..all in one♥
AS far as paints go..I seem to find qualities in all..and in papers also..
for certain..I feel better w/ a watercolor paper though.
A little old nana playing w/ her paints  and cotton yarn and chickens;)
Gardening and baking in between..reading takes such a back seat in summer..
Today we have Lucas time and I am so looking forward to seeing our big boy♥
Take care..enjoy the coming weekend..

Wishy Washy Summer.

Garlic is hung

Oh what a wishy washy summer it is..

Our skies just opened and it is pouring..

Our days have had rays of hope..but mostly  grey uncertain times..
still ,things are blooming and the gardens are a great source of joy.
For the work they give us and the rewards that come afterwards.

Take for instance those ranunculus blooms up there.. a few cheap corms from  Canadian Tire of all places this Spring and they worked..
I bought two more packages for next year.
I love watching things change..evolve,grow..the ones w/ buds perhaps the most..like hollyhocks and peonies and tulips..clematis also but they are EN MASSE..seing individual plants bloom ..well so exciting to me.
The hydrangeas are crazy though and I will have to try and get help and pull many..maybe Jacques can do it..I'll see..they are overgrown..lush..gorgeous..but I moved lillies..because they were lost amidst a sea of Annabelles..Annabelles are the worst.For spreading.



The girls are well..although one tried to eat my newly planted radish sprouts..I took two small areas where I pulled up the garlic..and am trying radishes..French and Watermelon..time will tell..if they don't grow..I'll have my daughter's attitude..:"It is what is is"  :)  

I made a neat little store ~in~ the~ fridge salad for my lunches.

I had bought a set of 4 Summer Fresh salads at Costco..saved the containers..and have twice now made 4 new ones..I never buy prepped food..I have moods when I am in Costco..I usually bee-line to the clothes,garden,books while Jaceques peruses every food aisle..I never go in the refrigerated parts..I wait for him by the rotisserie chickens..(don't ever tell my girls..)
But sometimes I get curious and throw my routine to the wind..
I love our friendly Costco..
So..the salad..

nothing complicated..

Quinoa
Green Lentils
Black Beans
Cherry Tomatoes
Red onion
Some peppers..orange..red..whatever..chopped
Garlic  ..my Garlic Confit..Google the recipes..pick the one that suits you...a keeper for me now...it adds such an earthy sweetness to everything:)
Herbs.
A dressing of Dijon..srirracha,maple syrup,lemon juice,evoo.s and p..sesame seeds.
Add some edibles and a balsamic glaze.

I love opening the fridge and there's my little lunch.

The bananas ripen at the speed of lighning and the last thing I want are those stupid eeny meenie minie fruit flies..I HATE those as much as SQUIRRELS..not as much as Rose Chafers and Beetles.

so I made a Marie The Great British Baker Chef recipe..a nice different banana bread..we can all use 100 recipes:)

Yum.

I see summer just flying by...by my flowers..the annuals.. they don't tell time here..but my perennials do..I could guage a calendar simply by looking at my blooms..a week or two off..at times..
but still.that's how ell you get to know your gardens.

Bon Weekend..Bonne Semaine~♥

PS if you want a little smile or a tear..my daughter sent me..

Lucas and I later..

I watched it..and cried.

~Dans Mon Jardin~

Summer is garden time for me..we had lots of rainy days and then..just like in the Itsy Bitsy Spider story..out came the sun♥

Miracles of nature gardens are..some yrs the clematis are stellar..some yrs not..
This is a not  a stellar yr..so far w/ 2 missing..and the front fence onces..well 2 are not producing yet like usual..

the peonies and irises are gone..
the roses..lavender,,shastas,feverfews  are spot on..if not more prolific.
I finally found a control for hollyhock rust..cornmeal.I swear it works so I may add some here and there.

I have foxglove love and added another..purpurea to spread the seeds soon:)That's what you do..

The Nicotina from seed are 3 ft tall and beautiful.

It is exciting to watch new things grow in your gardens..

Part of my fun is growing edibles..and I do eat them..no flowers were left in the above massaged kale salad..even Jacques eats them.

Borage,calendula,pansies,roses,nasturtiums,herbs..I have a pesticide ~free garden..so I don't need to worry re the edibles.

The garlic scapes are cut and chopped and frozen..
Soon I'll harvest the garlic..

And dry it  and clean it up for the year.

I made something interesting w/ garlic and will share soon..
nothing you cannot Google..you "confit" your garlic and store in fridge...I found the original idea on NoCrumbsleft on IG.

I am happy to report miracles do happen  as  all my burnt to the earth line tomato plants that I saved..in case of a miracle..6..are beautiful.I had burnt the tender roots w/ fertilizer..
our local newspaper just reported that you can put some powdered milk in the water for watering tomato plants which I will do today..I believe everything:)

My girls..Caramelle and Bécassine..well I cannot imagine Spring Summer and Fall w/out them any more..just going to the feed store is a thrill..a country jaunt..and you find everything you need..
I love letting them free range..but can only get them back in w/ Kraft slices..processed..one..:)
Their little feathered bums in the air♥
PS My daughter dropped by today and she snapped this pic w/ her phone..it's hot and dry..the girls were out..the tree trimmer here..I was gardening and playing w/ my chickens and reading and stitching lol..I love pics when I don't know someone is taking one!

The *&^%$%&()(*&^****8rose chafers are here in force..storm troopers..I HATE them..they do not touch the rose ..named Fairy..above..if you can find these..a treat..they have climbers but QC is too cold for her.

I squeeze handfuls of chafers  every day..bare handed..lol..and I actually feel the hate.

Making cherry..rhubarb desserts..smaller and in two's if I know I can give away..

Still stitchin'..LOVE it so much♥

We have a nice tree trimmer..when people come to do work for us/ w/ us..I like to feed them:) A coffee..a muffin..pie..if the hour suits it..this time..it was off hours..so I bundled up a small cake and a dischloth and eggs..just mentioning..because when I received my dishcloths it changed my life lol..so go ahead and pay it forward.

Have not painted very much..and what I have is so..not nice.Really.
Except one small thing.In the mail..

We had our outing w/ Noah..  9 YEARS OLD..lunch and shopping.. it's a tradition w/ the boys.. he picked my fave in town greasy spoon..so 50's..on Main Street..red patio umbrellas and sign..white wrought iron sets outdoors or picnic tables..oldies music playing w/ loud speakers..you can eat indoors too..diner style.
I wish all the boys picked this place in summer..so far 2 out of 4..it's just a few steps away from the boys school.I feel young there..even though I bumped into a former co-workers' son..and he has grey in his hair..!So no..I'm not young..it's that  jean jacket illusion again.
Noah had received gift cards at his party Sunday..so he picked Toys R Us..and bought a fantastic Lego set..he is the only one interested in Legos and loves them.
I like that..like books and things..

he did receive an electric motorcycle..his dad has a Harley....I must admit it's fun.I rode it..

Quite a gift..you almost need to be an only child lol..
he was so well behaved..happy..great outing.



I made this cake end of June..blah.blah.Not like the cherry almond cakes on the counter as I type:)

Have a great weekend..I'll be in the garden..or baking or stitching or painting..when I should be reading too..