This is the Life

Last week I mentioned in passing, something about one of my favorite traditions here at the little green cottage...and now that I have decided to leave last week behind completely, I finally have a chance to fill you in.

Summer arrived at last, shining it's brilliant shine upon us and we smiled. It heralded a beginning of growth, spontaneity, sunburn, bare feet, holidays and good times. It also means that it is time to raise The Summer Tent!

Oh, I know it's nothing fancy, just your average utilitarian "EZ-UP" with some dodgy sheets hung to. Each year I imagine that I will sew up some "granny chic" goodness to cover the whole lot...you know, something fit to grace the pages of Country Living say. And perhaps someday I shall.
For now though, dodgy or not, The Summer Tent in all it's humble glory, has become a symbol of what summer should feel like (busy, lazy and vaguely exotic).

It's a welcoming spot to sit, to find shade and rest in a fort in your back yard. When the tent goes up, it also means that the garden is in fairly fit condition, so that one can rest looking out and not feel too compelled to pull at weeds or shovel something. It is a fine place to bring a quilt and have a picnic of blueberries and iced tangerine tea.

Raising The Summer Tent is cause for celebration. A party was in the making and the garden was dressed for company.

Including a new glider/rocker that came as a gift via my mom. Now, this is the place to soothe the savage beast. Buddha cats and 5 year olds can not resist the lull of the swinging bench, nor can mamas, house guests and the odd passer by. It has been voted "the best place to read a story book before bed time ever". It is also good for star gazing once the savage beasts have gone to bed.

For the 3rd annual raising of the summer tent, I went for an Emergency First Aid - Self Service theme. I was told later that several guests enjoyed it's restorative powers.

Oh how I would love if you all could come by, sit for a spell and watch the evening come on. Telling stories of the adventure of everyday living and listening to our favorite songs. Of course there will be cake...and tangerine tea.

So, have a seat.

I will be out there tonight, stargazing - trying to imagine what the sky looks like where you are.

Kickin' out the jams!

This weekend was a busy one. The most important business on the schedule was The Making of the Jam! It is a yearly event that The Engineer and I look forward to, knowing that we will be provided with luscious tasty jam for the coming year. Now, if you don't happen to make your own jam, I'd like to take a moment to encourage you to do so. It makes great gifts, it tastes like heaven, and it is one of those satisfying accomplishments that make you feel proud. I'd like to say that making jam is easy but, it isn't. No, there's no actual math or science involved (not really), just the time and effort it takes which is considerable, and it is all the more complicated by a tiny kitchen. It takes a certain commitment, focus, and dedication.
And dishes, there are lots and lots of dirty dishes involved.

Over the years the Mr. and I have developed a streamlined production that sails us through the process with relative ease and we also have a pretty good time. The first order of business is to put on some tunes. We require up-beat tempos to keep our energy from flagging and a little dancing about between batches keeps us smiling. This years jam session was brought to us by the seemingly odd choice of Tenacious D Do Not Click on the link if you are easily offended or fear explicit lyrics, they are truly not for everyone. It ended up being perfect music for laughing, dancing, a little "air guitar" and of course "kicking out the jams!"

There is a certain order to things when it comes to jam. Open up those windows deary, it's about to get steamy in here. There have been years that the outside temperature competed with the boiling water bath on the stove, now that is unpleasant. This year we had a cool morning and it helps when you have your face in a bubbling pot of jam, a scalding canning tub and a warm oven.

There are tools of the trade that I find indispensable. The most crucial being the produce. Fresh locally grown berries are a must. We get a Mt. Hood strawberry; small, sweet, juicy and shiny with goodness. Oh my! In the making of jam you must never stray from the path, never falter in your attentions, do not walk away from the jam...EVER!

In the end you will be rewarded with jam the color of jewels and with a taste of fresh fruit that is not too sweet (very little sugar is added to our jams compared to commercially available brands), a jam that with every bite reminds you of summer and the sweetness of life!

We ended up with 34 jars of ruby goodness! How sweet it is! This is only Part 1, a second jam will be canned later in the summer when the Marionberries are ripe.

So there you have it, jam = goodness.
That is all.

PS. Just realized this is my 250th post, hooray!

Lola in the Big City

This last weekend, the family and I packed our cases and hit the road. We rolled up North and crossed the border into Washington. Our destination was "The Emerald City" of Seattle. As we pulled into town the sun was shining and there was a brilliant blue bird sky. After all the rain we have been having, it was an instant mood lift and we all had smiles ready for the adventure.

It's been years since I had been to Seattle, even though it is a mere couple of hours away. The city has such a different feel from my own home city of Portland, it reminds me a bit of the San Francisco of my youth.

We stayed at the historic Moore Hotel downtown. If you are looking for an affordable option and aren't wanting to get too fancy, I can recommend this hotel with a vintagey feel. The suite we had was lovely and clean with peek-a-boo views of the Puget Sound.

One morning, we went to Le Pichet for breakfast, a wonderful French cafe. I had the best croissant I've had in years, possibly the best ever...served with an amazing rhubarb preserve and an excellent cup of coffee. It was heaven. You may think I exaggerate but then, you may not be aware of my fierce love of good pastry. Let me assure you, it is no frivolous matter! This croissant and I were meant for each other and I dare say it will haunt me with it's memory for a long time to come.

image from here

Oh dear, I do believe I am getting ahead of myself. When we arrived in the city the first order of adventure was a meet up with a blog buddy of the 'utmost kind'. A woman whom I first made acquaintance with when I was searching out chicken coops on the internet. I came across her blog as she herself (and her Mr.) was in the midst of building a hen house of her own. Since that time, we had struck up one of those sweet acquaintances that you do from time to time in blogland. And now we had made arrangements to meet face to face. Yes, I was about to meet my friend Dottie Angel!

image from here

We had arranged to meet up at the entrance to a certain thrift shop, we recognized one another (from the knees down) immediately. What a lovely time I had! We thrifted, she took me to a Japanese bookstore that had me quite faint with it's plethora of gorgeous craft books, we had lunch and we chatted away the hours. It was such a joy to meet in person and get on so well. Thank you Dottie, for your kindness and for sharing a bit of your time with me.

On Sunday, we headed to The Fremont Market where I picked up a few treasures.

Then we stopped off at Alki Beach to let Pony Girl play at the shore. We parked a ways from the main beach lane and not 20 steps from our car I came across a rather sweet roadside find! Two dandy chairs for the big people and a wee chair for the smallish one's dolls. The Engineer and I will be giving the granny rocker an overhaul and the yam colored industrial is a perfect fit for my "by the roadside" desk.

As we headed home with the sun still shining, we all had a feeling of tired contentment. A mini family holiday adventure was just what we all needed. The rain has returned but, we have some wonderful memories to carry us through.

Today is Backwards Day

Wednesday was Crazy Hair Day.

Next Wednesday is Graduation Day!

This Fall, that beautiful little-big girl will be going to the 'big' school for Kindergarten.

Amazing!

By the way, she loved the pants...a lot.

There is still time to enter my Give Away!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Hot Pants

I should say, "Hot Pink Pants".

Pony Girl has no pants. Not entirely true but, all pants are looking as though she is prepared for an epic flood, or has gone into the plumbing business. She needs pants and she needs them now! So, what's a mama to do but, spend an hour (give or take) with some fabric scraps and some serious speed sewing. Mix it all together and you get crazy hot pink pants with some iffy dotty appliqué.


Excuse the dodgy photos, it's coming on summer here but, you wouldn't know it by the weather. Dark and dreary, wet and wetter...enough already!

While I don't love these pants, Pony Girl will... and I wont mind a bit if she mucks through the mud in them. I call that a success!

Hurray for pants!

Wanted Man

Due to the recent increase in the princess population, with nary a prince in sight...

The Lumberjack has found himself to be the object of some pretty pursuit. At first he relished the attention but, it all started to get a little intense. He found he couldn't go anywhere without a gaggle of gussied up girlies running after him.

On this particular morning, whilst out on a coffee run, he heard the tell tale giggling coming up behind him. Before he had a chance to spot an escape route, he found himself surrounded.

I wonder how he's going to get himself out of this little pickle?

Have a lovely weekend all!

I'm no April fool

No, I have been a busy bee... getting a few things ready for the shop. I'll be putting some new wares on the shelves at last! Oh yes, it feels quite good to finally have some fresh inventory.

There will be a couple of new journals and I do believe I have sorted out my Hook Books rather nicely.


The Hook Books are made from all recycled and vintage materials (but for the snappy snaps and zippity zips). The fabrics are all vintage, which always makes me ever so happy.

I am quite smitten with these little lovelies. A place for your family of crochet hooks, a zippy pocket for stitch markers, yarn needles and the like, and a spot for a notebook or pattern notes and a pen. If you are not the crocheting kind, never fear! I have discovered that these make a cozy home for arty pens and pencils with the pocket used for an eraser and sharpener. I imagine you could come up with all sorts of uses for it really.


Well now, I'd best be off to tidy up the shop, I'm heading over there now to place these sweet things just so. There is still a lot of goodness in the works too, hoping for another update next week.

I have other fab things to share with you after the weekend. I will tell you all about my latest discovery, some sweet seniors, and what I found by the side of the road. Have a joyous weekend and Happy Easter to those who observe. I myself, am looking forward to nibbling the ears of a chocolate bunny or two.

Breath of Fire

"It's ok, it's organic."

Well, I've just about had it! I have been much too serious and much too ill and I am darn well over it. For the last week I have gone about in my house clothes, not pajamas but, rags so closely resembling pajamas that semantics are really all that separate them. First it was the bum arm (which I neglected to mention previously), then the tumble down the stairs which led to a bum bum and other injured parts, then the torture ahem...I mean treatment for the bum arm, and lastly this seasonal cold we will call "a most nefarious sickness". Oh, I also went in for my first mammogram, and a well woman appointment...I dare say I have seen more of my new doctor than my husband of late, and she more bits of me than he. I have heard the words, "You will feel some discomfort here..." more times than I care to recall.

Is this what it means to be 'a woman of a certain age'? I have even found myself using the 'small voice', you know, that frail cracking self deprecating passive wobbly voice that goes along with the shuffling of slippers and cat hairs in the candy dish.


I haven't sewn a stitch or picked up hook and yarn, led a parade or sang in the shower, had an adventure or put on a funny hat, made pancakes or tried something new for two weeks and it's made this dame a down right cranky pants. Things were getting quite desperate I tell you!

No more! For today is a new day - of a new week no less, and I am determined to turn things around. If it takes a little spit and elbow grease (with the good arm mind you), I am going to hop to it.

I am starting off my day with "the breath of fire" ala Harold and Maude. I am dressing for success - in my own mad hatter fashion of course. I am going to stand on a bench/table/stump/overturned flower pot and use my big voice. The neighbors will think that I am somewhat cracked...as usual.

But that's alright, "Everyone has the right to make an ass out of themselves. You just can't let the world judge you too much."

So, today is a good day, a silly day...I am putting on my sunflower hat and I'm going to watch Harold and Maude for the umpteenth time. What will you do?


"I should like to change into a sunflower most of all. They're so tall and simple. What flower would you like to be?"