It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powered gold over the grassy hillside. – Maude Hart Lovelace
Despite the volume of rain we got last week, I did manage to get outside with the camera and practice a bit more! I am looking at things differently as I contemplate images. I am learning lots from Carole and Vicki and I am so thankful to them and their brilliant photos that inspire me to get better!
If only that tremulous drop of water was more in focus!
It is amazing what just a tiny movement of the camera can do
I think early morning photos after it rained might be my favorite thing of all and the light is wonderful! This waning rose turned out wonderfully – not perfect, but I really love the image. Rosy reds are so hard to photograph, but early morning light gives the best possible conditions to try – and try I did!
The focus was not perfect, but that mosquito!
I also love the “surprises” I get when taking photos. These tomato blossoms are a perfect example of that with the fly in from a mosquito! I am glad her attention was focused elsewhere and not on me!
Color, water, definition… and one wee bug!
Finally, this little zinnia (I think? I am not sure, Steve’s mom gave us some “left over plants” she was not going to use) Anyways, the color is so wonderful and I love how it turned out – although trying to focus on something so low to the ground was a challenge.
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and that your week will be full of good things!
Summertime is always the best of what might be. — Charles Bowden
Happy Summer Solstice! After torrential overnight rains, this morning the clouds are giving way to pale blue skies. The humidity is gone, and the birds are singing! I have shut off the AC and opened wide the windows, welcoming in the cool air. After a week of rarely seeing the sunshine, this is the perfect start to summer!
Celebrating:
Our ninth “anniversary” of sorts! I use the word anniversary loosely because we are not married – but no less committed to each other (and perhaps more so!) Anyways, we had the most hilarious conversation this morning where we struggled with the date a bit – how many years now? After much conversation and checking of calendars – Happy 9 years of co-habitation! The highlight of the morning thus far was the email informing me that I have 1 year of BritBox awaiting me! Steve does know me so well – sometimes is scares me! Ha! Anyways, I have plans to celebrate tonight with our usual Happy Hour, which tonight will be a Happy Anniversary Hour! And, I think the weather is going to cooperate nicely and allow for a bit of a bonfire tonight!
Making:
Yesterday I got all the pieces cut out for Vivi’s quilt top (thanks to Middlemarch – which is the most engaging company) and this morning my plan was to start sewing squares together… But perhaps it would be a better thing to get this yarn skeined up and soaking since the weather is perfect for drying yarn! I also need give my Screen Door a quick soak and a bit of blocking. Yesterday, I pulled out this project and managed to get past the sleeve divide. And, this weekend I want to make some more of this incredible jam. It is insanely delicious – far less sweet – and much faster than this jam. I did NOT strain the jam as suggested in the recipe. As you can see, there is no shortage of “making” going on here.
Watching:
The latest season of The Handmaid’s Tale and a new series, Das Boot – both on Hulu. I also finally caught up with the latest season of Bosch on Amazon. And, best of all – the latest season of Endeavor on PBS!
Loving:
Michelle’s Summer Friday Prompts! They are a wonderful thing to contemplate and I am carrying them with me through the week in my morning meditation time. This week’s prompt was ironically timely – and I am profoundly grateful for the prompts. It is always a good reminder to look beyond the bad and think about the future – and to find something to be grateful for.
Asking:
For your valued input! I have been thinking about the future of Unraveled Wednesday – is it stale? Does it need a reboot? How many weeks can we really be excited to talk about our making and reading? I welcome your thoughts, comments, and suggestions! (and if you don’t want to leave a comment here you are welcome to email me at kachrist37 (at) gmail (dot) com – of course you know to swap out the (at) and (dot) with an ampersand and a period.
That is what is happening in my world right now – Have an amazing weekend and I will see you back here on Monday! (And, I look forward to your thoughts and suggestions about Unraveled Wednesdays!)
I am joining Carole and friends today and I am sharing three things I am anticipating with some excitement!
First, queue the music please…
Thing One:
Summer Solstice! I have been in a summer-frame-of-mind since the “unofficial” start of summer way back on Memorial Day weekend. Summer is really not my favorite time of the year weather-wise, the dreaded uber-hot days and the humidity… really, not my favorite things. But this year I made the decision to NOT be that person and I discovered that if you change your way of thinking, you can absolutely make a difference where it counts – with yourself! I have plans for a lovely evening outside enjoying the glorious weather – even if it rains! Because is there anything more lovely than summer rain and cocktails on the porch?
Thing Two:
Vegetable Garden Anticipation has been in “Worry Mode” this year – things have been slow growing, very slow growing! So, slow growing that I worried that all our efforts in planting would result in no fruits of our labor. But this week things all started turning around! The beans have blossoms (finally!!), the peppers are showing signs of life as well! And, this morning I was greeted by a plethora of tiny tomato flowers! PLUS!! I picked my first handful of raspberries this morning and I am deliciously reminded that good things sometimes do come to those who wait!
Thing Three:
I have finally made my way through the avalanche of library books and yesterday I began Middlemarch, which is perfect timing for my longed for “Summer of Classics” to begin! I am listening and happily settling into life in in early 1800’s England. Sometimes things you anticipate do not quite measure up, but 6 chapters in and the story is most welcoming and inviting. Good thing because I have another 31 hours of listening to go! I think that Dorothea will be the most wonderful sewing companion as well which is a very good thing because today I am beginning the process of cutting out Vivi’s quilt!
And there you have my anticipations! What are you looking forward to this week?
We have been gently easing into summer and until this week it has been a semi-dry month! This week, however, the sun has been hidden behind a plethora of rain clouds. I enjoy summer rains and it is nice to have Mother Nature water the gardens – the downside to all this rain means that the grass is growing at an exponential rate and it’s too wet to mow. If this keeps up, Sherman will think he is in the jungle when he goes out to do his business!
The other downside of the rain is having to have the windows all closed and the AC on. I am not winning in the AC temperature wars, so I finished my Trap A Zoid socks this week. I think they are adorable, and I see more of these in my future! I love the little colorwork section – it makes it so easy to knit two identical socks!
The other knitting project I have an urgency to finish is my Screen Door, I am on the decrease side and so the rows seem to be going much faster and I have roughly 15 pattern repeats to another finished object!
The reading had highs and lows this week and I am hovering around my first bingo!
The highs included The Tiger’s Wife (which was not a bingo read) and The Boy in Striped Pajamas (which was a bingo read.) I loved both of these stories deeply and highly recommend each of them!
The low was really bad. I finished Black Leopard, Red Wolf – barely. 1 star and I do not recommend.
I also know which Modern Mrs. Darcy Book I will read – I am Anastasia came through this week; I hope to start it soon as I only have about a third left of my second Inspector Lynley novel!
And, there you have my making and reading this week!
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This week the weather was this photographers biggest challenge (although, some photographers managed to capture some amazing images!) And while I love the breezes that have been blowing so nicely – those same breezes create havoc with photos! Still, I took about 3 dozen images this week and happily there were two images that I was pleased with….
The lavender is spectacular this year!
Vinca faces make me smile
I am getting much better with manual focus and am having more success with the part of the image I want to be in focus!PLUS….this weeks winners helped me determine that my flowers have a large collection of Thrips… soapy water will be spritzed on them soon, weather permitting!
And there you have my larger than life Monday! What about you? What are you focused on today?
