Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Rug Hooking Retriever

I have been doing a bit of rug hooking while waiting for coats of paint to dry on our newly constructed wooden closets (((thanks for all your hard work husband)))...Little Jasper has taken it upon himself to retrieve my rug hooking strips which have fallen to the floor...

Have you Hugged your Furbaby today...

Cheerio, Susan

Monday, May 20, 2013

My Garden in May

You may recall a post I did a short while ago titled, "April Showers Bring May Flowers". Well...the month of May did indeed bring a second flush of flowers to our garden.

I took these photographs at about 4:30 in the afternoon with my trusty and well used Cannon Rebel SLR. I love this time of day when the shadows are deep and the light is soft and golden...colors are crisp and the stained glass effect of the sun shining through the leaves just takes my breath away.

Truly a beautiful day with turquoise skies, Bees buzzing...baby Birds calling...being surrounded by all this lush growth and smelling the sweet scent of spring...its like living in an arboretum...my own little patch of paradise. 
 
 I am still amazed every time I walk around our half acre property...the folks who lived here previous to us did a wonderful job of planting a wide diversity of different plants, trees, shrubs and perennial flowers. Come July and August will be able to harvest Blackberries, Currents, Blueberries, 
Thimble-berries, Figs and Cherries. You can see the unripe cherries below...I find the bark covered with lichens to be an interesting study of color and texture.

And the Tree Peonies...spectacular dinner plate sized specimens that are truly stunning to behold.

 The tree peonies in our yard our huge and at least 10 years old...a rare plant that you don't get to see very often. I truly treasure them and believe that I am one lucky gal to have not one variety but two.

My red Tree Peony surrounded by yellow and orange Poppies

 Below is the highly fragrant Yellow Tree Peony...lots of blooms but again...I wish they could stay around longer.



Vivid Poppies and Poppy pods...


 Little perennial Pansy's.
 

 

Giant Poppy pods ready to burst with big red blooms...interesting shapes, so strange and alien looking.
I couldn't resist purchasing some of these Chartreuse colored Primula flowers...they look lovely in amongst my other shade loving plants.


 
 Columbines with complicated lacy petals...I love this color combination.


A bee is busy collecting pollen on a wildflower..

Wild west coast Roses that smell just heavenly...below a Honeysuckle is ready to bloom.

Purple & white Columbines


Lacey and delicate white blooms...

 

Our big back yard Cedar tree is festooned with Clematis Vines in full flower.



 

Lily of the Valley...fragrant and sweet.

Soloman's Seal...a Native American woodland plant that loves dappled shady areas.

Currants slowly ripening in our spring sun...


My all time favorite...the Lilac...its scent brings back many a childhood memory.

And last but not least...our Little Jasper behind our garden gate.

A little note of Gratitude
I wrote a pretty intense post a short while ago lamenting the fact that I was in the middle of dealing with a flare up of an auto immune skin condition...it was bad and I won't downplay that...but things have improved considerably since then and I am now on new medication which has worked wonders for me so far...thank goodness!!! I can breath a sigh of relief and get on with my life...one of which is taking care of my garden. I also want to mention how overwhelmed I was with notes from all of you...notes that brought tears to my eyes and made me feel so good inside...I want to say thank you to all of you who reached out to me...you made what I was going through endurable, you made me feel like I wasn't alone and that there are others out there struggling with issues of their own...you are all good people with big kind hearts...

Warmly, Susan


Sunday, May 19, 2013

On A Lighter Note



Little Jasper...ya gotta love him!!!

Friday, May 3, 2013

If Life Hands You Lemons

A while back I posted about an immune disorder that has reoccurred and which has made my life difficult. It all started about 6 or more years ago when I broke out in a mysterious case of hives along with a list of other bodily complaints...well to make a long story short this malady has sent me on a trip I never ever wanted to take!

Hives you say...sounds simple and endurable...but not when they turn into a chronic condition where they immobilize you for weeks, months and sometimes longer.  They most often are pressure induced, if I sit for to long or hold something for to long, or even lay in my bed on one side for to long...bruises, burning itching welts and swellings occur and last for days and weeks on end...

Do I feel sorry for myself...you betch ya! Am I angry and upset and pissed off that I have had to endure this for so long...you betch ya! Am I venting...yes...blogging is cheaper then a therapist LOL...and getting this off my chest gives me a real sense of release...

This malady has made me cancel vacations, caused me to not make friends as I get tired of making up excuses as to why I can't make or keep plans; canceled projects and group visits to my studio. It has made me live a quiet life. I have found solace and a sense of comfort in my art-making...but even that has been made sporadic and at times not doable. I take pleasure and peace by walking and meditating in wild places...clearing my head, heart and my spirit.

To look at me you would say..."She looks fine...appearances can be deceiving and people are apt to judge you for all sorts of reasons. For instance, I can't wear tight clothes or fancy shoes or wear make up...I sometimes can't wear a bra...I have to wear my underwear inside out so that the seams don't press on my skin...and I stay housebound if my face has been affected...etc etc. I can't work outside the home, because this malady is so unpredictable...so I have devoted my life to making a HOME SWEET HOME! 

 I know it is difficult to not judge people...we must try to be compassionate and kind...if you don't know someone then don't judge them at face value...I believe we all have something to teach others, we all go through things that will make us wiser more compassionate beings...we are sent trials and tribulations to help us grow and appreciate life, don't take your good life and its blessings for granted.
This week has brought some revelations...after years and  years of exploration, research and tests...having to tell my story to countless doctors and specialists...I finally found out what I have, a  diagnoses...a name to put to this thing that has plagued me for years. Its a type of vasculitus not true hives...I know that this skin disorder runs in my family, so now I can at least connect some dots. Now I will be able to make a road map of sorts into what I can do for myself...

I know a lot of you come to this blog because it is a soft place to fall, you have told me this place makes you feel warm and welcomed and that it puts a smile on your face...I apologize if I have brought a different vibe here today. But today it is My Soft Place to Fall...I have told you part of my story...not all of it...I could write and write...but I choose to end it here... 

Do I dare push the publish button...why not...aren't stories meant to be told.

Susan

Thank-you Thank-you for all of your well wishes...I know that there are others out there suffering from much worse...so I try to remind myself all of the time how blessed I am in my life...I have a wonderful family, a husband who has been so supportive of me and is always looking out for  me...and then there are all of you...you make me feel better...you cheer me up and encourage me to carry on...and carry on I will!
 
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