the days are beautiful.

we went to pick blueberries with Auntie this AM but there were none so we picked from thornless raspberry bushes instead. Though the rows were abundant in berries, ripe and falling into our hands, it was still too hot to pick many. Bellies full, we wandered back in the direction of home but stopped off a short while to make ourselves dizzy in this field. Hopefully “Auntie” will have some spinning photos to share…eventually.

Sunday is Papa day and this past weekend Saturday was too. i sewed crowns aplenty, went out walking, joined a friend for coffee, wandered the tracks and picked a few blackberries with my boys, hung out with passersby on our porch and ate some corn. it was a free and easy weekend.

eye candy;

overwhelmingly simple. beautiful. hot. seemingly still at first glance but if you pause long enough you’ll notice that it’s busy full of life. i feel the heat and smell the sage when i look back on these. sigh. sometimes i like to go to this back road for a little perspective.

so bright out;

at grandma & bestafa’s house we see deer every day. they like the cool shade of the gully and sometimes a doe will birth a bambi or 2 there. ooooh their sweet bambi spots. so adorable. we got to see2 newbies this time. this gal, she’s just wandering by on her way to the vineyards next door.

a little randomness that i couldn’t leave out - Betty’s garage doors. i like them. and grandma’s treasures. i see where i get my gathering from;

i’m getting a little lazy on the words here but i can’t post about the Okanagan without including the sunny folk & farmers, family & friends;

Okanagan Lake;

3 of 4 - We met in Kindergarten and we’ve been friends (and sometimes not as girls will be) ever since. i’m a tad envious that their kids will grow up so close together. Pretty darned special and i bet the grandmas all are thrilled too.

While the little one slept i took advantage of grandma’s babysitting and went to town, stayed out past midnight and didn’t worry for a moment. That’s huge for me! (oh yes Michelle, we closed Theo’s. That hasn’t happened in eons.)

damn tourists;

Corn. it grows so quickly. it will be over our heads next visit. oh the fun we’ll have.

“Inch by inch, row by row, gonna watch this garden grow. All it takes is a rake and a hoe and a piece of fertile ground. Inch by inch, row by row, someone bless these seeds i sow, someone warm them from below till the rains come tumblin’ down.”

“Pulling weeds and picking stones. we are made of dreams and bones, feel the need to grow my own ’cause the time is close at hand. Grain for grain, sun and rain, find my way in nature’s chain, tune my body and my brain to the music from the land.”

“Plant your rows straight and long, temper them with prayer and song, Mother Earth will make you stong if you give her love and care.”

“Old crow watching hungrily from his perch in yonder tree, in my garden i’m as free as that feathered thief up there.”

a favorite summertime book;

Always when it’s time to return home after a short Summer visit i begin to wish that i had done more, absorbed more, when really it’s the slowing down that i’m after. i just want more of it. i hold fast to the lazy days and mellow moods. There are treasures here; golden plums and other rich fruits, sunny folk & farmers, friends & neighbors. sigh. Another Summer adventure to reminisce. The cherries i can bring home but i’ll miss the tree, it’s shade and it’s view.

there will be parts 2 or more. i’m slow to organize after this trip.

In the middle of the night i’m trying to write a goodbye. i’m only away for a short while but i didn’t want to skip town like last time. So, i’m off to a sunny land where to pick fruits and catch up with some good people.

i leave you with less words and more color;

Our living room is pretty much Little A’s room since he hasn’t got a bedroom of his own and so in this smallish space an element of order and beauty helps to keep the peace. Right now i’m appreciating the nature corners. Not only does it inspire his “projects” but it helps keep my focus off the color block carpet and stash of rubber balls under the couch.

There’s a lot of interest and activity in the nature table these days. Ever since the introduction to the advent calendar and the winter wonderland project, Little A often wonders if those elves will leave surprises on other days. He was pretty delighted to find a special birthday table just for him earlier this month. He immediately took the candles to the breakfast table to light. We spent the morning reading through his baby journal full of photos, cards, blurbs - the good ones. He was not at all interested in opening his gift. In fact he repeated to me for the ??? time that he did not want any gifts. i only bought him one that i was sure he would love but still he did not open it until the following evening just before bedtime along with all the other fantastic gifts given to him. The birthday table remained for several days after which we set up the July table which the little monkey continues to add to and change. The accumulation of sticks in the yard don’t quite fit here though he would like them to.

me oh my the sun did shine all weekend. We hit 2 farmer’s markets. Just because. i’m sad to say that the strawberries came and went all too quickly this year and the peas are soon to follow though we do have some of our own growing in the yard. i hold a sweet childhood memory of my mama sending us off to the garden to pick lunch into our skirts. Peas were my absolute favorite garden delight. The fields are ripening now with raspberries & blueberries. Okanagan cherries seem abundant despite odd Spring frosts…Alistair found some sweet wee zucchinis and well, the market is just getting exciting now. Petunia and the Loons put a big fat smile on my face . i’d like to hire them to play at my porch party (tba-ha!).

Though i usually save ocean adventures for week days when other beach combers are at a minimum (i am a super beach hog. i want it all for myself) we wanted to go on some sort of exploration with out committing to a big drive out of the city so we hit trail #3 out at UBC with our good friend S. The stairs to and from are as exciting as the rocks we long to bring home.

Hope you all had a swell weekend.

Yipee!! My buttons have arrived from Kat, Waltz Matilda. She used a vintage fabric for the buttons and change purse, hand painted some sweet extras and included a handmade all natural hand salve that smells delicious. i love it. Thank you! i sent off a linen clutch and pin cushion (each inspired by 2 lovely friends who gifted items to me of which i use daily) along with some fun favorite buttons.

Thank you again to all participants in the fabric covered button swap. Everyone seemed to really get into it and put together some sweet and generous packages. Some of my faves;

from das kaninchen. such attention to detail;

more sweet details as well as her swap partner, Pippijoe’s gifts;

ok so i am digging the house and aviary themes. You guys rock!

Mi, Artist Girl Friday, It’s What i Do, Little Seedlings;

i’d like to post more favorites but just head on over to the group pool and pick out your own favorites.

The next swap? oh i don’t know… i had a thought to organize a sort of “not going back to school swap” for home learning/unschooling families. Now that i’ve said it i’ll see what the feedback is before working out any details. This will be a Fall event anyhow. Now get outside and enjoy summer.

It seems his wonder is abundant and the questions are spilling out. Last night he wondered how our hair was attached to our heads. i replied that it grows from the inside out. “Do we have things inside our head?” to which i first reply “our brain” and quickly follow up with the more interesting “our imagination, our ideas, thoughts, figuring, words. everything.” Laughing, he starts throwing words out there but a mouse is the funniest for him to imagine inside our brains. He goes off on a tangent. i’m laughing but inside i’m thinking “geez i better prepare myself to creatively answer or further intrigue his wonder.” Once again he’s grown up overnight.

There are some moments and some words that i just want to keep forever. Of course the 4 year old accent and the tone will only truly be captured in my own memory and so i hold fast.

“i’m 4 now papa but i still can’t reach the basketball hoops. i can just do tricks.”