Porch Chairs

G has finally gotten the webbing he ordered off of E-bay.  We have two old aluminum chairs we drag out on the back porch (stoop) when the sun is warm enough.  Even in Winter.  The two chairs had a few shredded strips and we (mostly me) worried about falling thru whilst sitting.  And, if alone, walking around with a chair firmly attached to my rear end.  No rescue handy.

We have two rockers.  One is the very inexpensive rocker G brought home in the early months of having our first baby.  And that old wood rocker has been well and truly used in the following 44 years.  We added a new dark green one a few years ago.  I can imagine the two of them, the ceiling fan and the big overgrown geranium on our front porch.  If only there weren't so many mosquitos.

On the back deck, in regular rotation for over 3o years (purchased from Ikea in Germany in 1983), are the high backed white wire chairs that I find very comfortable, even without cushions, and G finds too hard and painful to sit on, even with cushions.  The chairs have a "springiness" when you sit in them.  Bouncy.  And they have this curve to fit the small of one's back.

None of the stores or catalogs have chair pads that fit these chairs.  All too big, too long, too short, too thin, too thick.

I have always wanted to have a folding chair in the car.  So, when the mood or the weather suits my fancy, I could pull out the chair, unfold it and sit right down.  Enjoying the weather or the sights.  I have been dragging a folding chair out of the greenhouse (the ones for classes) and eating my lunch in a spot of sunshine, if available.  But the wind has been fierce.  And cold.

I am worried that Spring will never come.  That it will be cold all the way into July.  I remember having the furnace on one Fourth of July here in Maine.  It may have been in 1991.  Our first July in Maine.  And I was wanting to sell the house the business and everything and get as far away from Maine as possible.  So very cold.

I think the next summer was so hot--like in the 104's.  I didn't care for that either.

Today I have bills to pay, aprons to sew, soup to make (G is freezing) and tomato seeds to plant.  Just in case things get warm enough to plant things in the garden.  But right now, another cup of coffee and some breakfast and I'll fold the white stuff in the dryer.

Found It.

I have been looking for this image in all my journals.  I am going to make this for the Arts Are Elementary Fund Raiser this year.  I was thinking of doing one part of it using the newspaper collage that I make in my Doodles.  But I couldn't find the picture and I think this pear shape is pretty awesome.

Now I need to go to the framing shop and ask to buy two pieces of smooth faced matt board--10 inches by 10 inches to use for the work.  One to sell and one to keep.  Or even get more pieces and make Doodles on them that I can frame.

Today--another sunny but very cold and blustery day.  I left work early thinking I had a haircut appointment and a doctor's appointment.  Haircut is next week.  I found this out when I showed up (awkward). And the doctor's appointment was also next week---different day (questioning my sanity).  But they had a cancellation so it worked out.  Just took FOREVER!!!  G and Riley were out in the car--getting annoyed.  We then annoyed the dog even more by stopping in the health food store for green mung bean noodles and then a great grocery for an Easter ham and some sandwich meats.  We also stopped to eat a very, very late lunch.  French onion soup.  Yum.

Now we are home.  And we have missed the news, again.  Last night we got caught up on Masterpiece--Selfridge's.  We are still missing Fringe.  Tried MI-5 and it's too dated and British. I tried a French version of the Returned.  Pretty creepy and it was amazing how quickly I stopped noticing the captions but understood the dialogue.  There were many moments when I actually thought they were speaking English or I understood French all of a sudden.

The American version that is airing now on television is so bland.  No wonder no one is watching.  Why on earth did they make it so uninteresting?  People,who are dead, reappearing should be pretty weird.  And the French twins.  One in her early teens and the other grown up--how weird is that???? To see yourself as you were or will be.  One woman is talking to the real (returned) boyfriend of her youth--- she thinks he's a ghost.  I've watched two episodes but have to be "alert" in order to watch any others--so no evening viewing.

We do still have House of Cards to enjoy.

Spring And Then Not Spring

This cute sign was sent to me from Germany.  Via an old friend.  Thank you!!!  I wish my greenhouse had a sign outside.  I think it would help bring in customers.

This morning we have Sunshine And SNOW.  Yes, SNOW.  All the grass is covered in white

Yesterday, in the howling wind and mud---- we started bringing the the perennials out into the yard.  Setting up the tables.  Not everything is here so spaces have to be set aside for the missing trays.  My orders, from inside the annual house------ five spaces then this and then two spaces and this.  I push the heavy cart out into the muck and recite five then two over and over.  Meanwhile, in the annual house the wind is filling the plastic shell and then sucking the air out.  So, big WHACKS as the shell heaves and contracts.  So noisy.  And rather startling.  Everything is mixed up.  So we are playing hide and seek, looking for the plants starting with A, then B and now C and D.  I believe we got to D yesterday before the rain came pelting down and the afternoon shift moved indoors.

Today I think the cold crops will arrive.  Broccoli, B. Sprouts, lettuces and cabbages.  Things that don't mind a bit of a spring chill.   My garden beds are pretty much ready.  I was amazingly good at getting them prepped last October.  Flat, clean and well amended with soils and coffee grounds from Starbucks.  Ready to plant.

Some of the seeds that G planted are coming up.  He has spring onions, fennel and something else coming up.  Now we need to paste carrot seeds and beet seeds on toilet paper (homemade seed tapes) and get those out into the garden beds.  Helps with spacing so not too much thinning needs to be done.

I discovered that eating some good carbs every other day has moved the needle on the scale--to a lower number.  Which is making my inner self a bit less angry and sad (and it also helps my mood to have good bread and some pasta).  My body is certainly a science experiment that needs some serious study and reflection.  And now that I am in the "heavy lifting" segment of my greenhouse work--long days of lifting and carrying-- that aspect of weight loss will be in place as well.

I like it when I fall asleep on the couch--by 9 pm.  That's how I know that I have done some serious work.  Some call it exercise.  And the hot shower after work is such a "good thing".  So happy!

Melted Snow And The Fig Tree

Not exactly a book title.  But that's what you have here.  The snow is gone.  The shed has reappeared. The fig tree is spending it's second full day outdoors with expanding leaves and more tiny fig buds. I think it is also expressing it's appreciation for the larger pot and better soil.  It might also be happy with the drenching I gave it (of fertilizer).

Here are my pansies.  One flat of Karma/ Rising Sun.  I don't know what, exactly, the name has to do with the color.  But I like the color.  So far, the deer haven't eaten the pansies, which are hiding behind the fig tree pot.  Yes, that is an oven shelf.  G brought two home from the restaurant when they changed out ovens.  They make nice raised places for the plants to sit on the deck.  So wet pot bottoms don't make stains on the decking.

My grandmother grew here pansies from seed.  Very difficult.  And I have always loved the flower.  I had a sweater when I was a child and it had embroidered pansies near the neckline.  I tried to wear that sweater all the time.

Today, another day off.  Some phone calls and a visit to the eye glass store.  The nose pads on my new glasses are making dents in my nose but they are also creating very sore red patches that burn and hurt.  Yesterday I had tape across the bridge of my nose to protect the skin under the nose pads.  My co-workers tactfully ignored my appearance.  So today I went to see if anything could be done to make it "all better".  I have new, larger, nose pads and they are made of a different material.  Cuz, I might have actually had an allergic reaction to the original pads.  Time will tell.

I took a "selfie" of myself with my new glasses and my new nose pads.  But I didn't like it.  Too many wrinkles.  Geez, I look terrible. And old.  I'll wait a few years and then post it--by then it will look fantastic in comparison.

I think I always look great but---now that I think about it---I don't have my glasses on when I am looking at myself and thinking I look "great".  These new glasses see so many things I have never before noticed about myself. Neck waddles.  Forehead creases.  Upper lip wrinkles.  Uneven skin tone.  I guess I might need "cosmetics".

G is out in the garden making hoops for two of the beds.  So I can roll spun cloth or plastic over them to temper the cold or hot of the weather for my "crops".  I can then have stuff growing (in those two beds) earlier and later.  I can also protect plants from too much sun or egg laying insects. G stays very busy now that winter is behind us.  There are a great many things to rake, weed and clean up before May arrives.  You saw the hammock behind the fig?  In May that hammock will be well used for naps.

Thursday I get my haircut.  It needs it--that photo, again.  Shows my hair looking a bit more shaggy than I like.  I think I need some personal "spring cleaning".  But right now--the laundry calls.