Before and After

That is a big thought.

I wasn’t thinking of this today when I threw away a fuzzy caterpillar.  Not “away” away.  Just into the compost bin “away”. 

He was eating the lettuce in my garden.  The lettuce that I haven’t cared to eat.  The lettuce that has grown the size of Jack’s beanstalk.

Then I read this little thought and had guilt.  Beanstalk size GUILT.  Butterfly guilt!  Who would ever throw away a butterfly?

I had to go and rescue the “butterfly” from the compost bin.  The compost bin is an interesting place.  Lots of live crawly things, and smelly things and composty things.  And me searching, searching for a potential butterfly. 

Luckily, we found each other.  He was rescued… and so was I. 

Because “butterfly guilt” is a serious, serious thing.  To almost be something, and then not be, for any number of reasons is serious indeed.  To miss your  potential, your butterfly life, is very serious business.

Then D.R. brought this home from school…

“Before and After.”  Doesn’t that just sum up a caterpillar’s life?  

I’m trying hard to focus on my “butterfly life”.  Time to move on from the caterpillar-ness and be my “before and after”.

What about you?

Technorati Tags: R. Buckminster Fuller

A Predilection for Clocks

I’ve run across several interesting clocks lately and chose to heed  the nudge and pick them up.  Perhaps with another Birthday in the rearview mirror I’ve got time on my mind.  Now I have to find them a home…

In my foyer there is a a piece of furniture I fondly refer to as the “Holiday altar”.  I usually decorate it for the season.  It’s in need of an update.  Magazines are my usual source of inspiration at these moments.  One of my fav’s is House Beautiful .  This months issue is the Big Advice Issue and it’s wonderful.  Look what I found:

This is the bedroom of a designer out of L.A., Dan Marty.   Of particular interest is the long table.  The “gathered over time and travels” look is very appealing to me.  He calls it “British Colonial with a West Indies flavor and Napoleon III thrown in”.  Who knew I was so sophisticated?! 

Marty likes collections but says they need order.  “Here are some general rules.  You need harmony and balance, contrast, the right combination of elements and scale.  Symmetry and asymmetry.  Light and dark.  Group your collections - they look more important that way.  Like things with like things.  And don’t line objects up like they’re on a march.  Vary heights.  One more thing I do is stack a few antique books and put an object on top.”

I like him.  A lot.  So here’s the altar:

Using Marty’s pointers, I gathered up some stuff.

I think this looks pretty good. But it needs just a little something else…

A few extra details completes my foyer update!  Do you think Marty would approve?  Can you find the four “clocks”?

Here, again, is my inspiration picture and the completed foyer:

“Thanks” to my older sister for the lovely, English, turquoise tin to add to my collection.  It mirrored the shape of the wicker,teapot basket and added balance and color. 

Technorati Tags: House Beautiful,foyer,Dan Marty

How does your garden grow?

The garden has been both interesting and frustrating.  I’ve found that just because you plant something doesn’t mean it will grow into something you can eat!  But I have harvested several salads in the last couple of weeks.

There are several types of lettuce here and some cute, little radishes and 5 (count them!) sweet peas.  They were all delish and had the family hunting in their salads for the goodies. 

Other results… the broccoli was all flowers and useless.  The cauliflower is looking pretty good, I’m guessing.  I went out today and it’s leaves were like Swiss cheese from the many perfectly camouflaged caterpillars that were calling it home.  I used natures pest remover, my fingers, and gave them a new home over the fence.  I hope none hit my son who was mowing on the other side!  The cuc plants are still pretty small but they have yellow flowers.  The radishes have really taken off and were planted from seed.  I’m on my second crop. 

Here is my one glorious poblano.  Hmmm, how can I stretch one  chile relleno to feed 6 people?

Oh, this is funny.  This is some kind of subterranean evil that has taken up residence in the yard.  It’s a mole or vole or whatever.  Lovey went all “Caddy Shack” on it last week with some smoke bombs.  I don’t think I ever got a straight answer on whether that business was organic.  We still have holes so I’m calling this one for the subterranean’s.  Holes, moles, voles.  Interesting.  There’s probably something to this.

Last picture…

Here is one of the seven different tomato plants.  They’ve all got flowers now and even a few baby tomatoes.  I hope the timing on the lettuces and tomatoes will coincide.  

That’s all for the garden update.  How does your garden grow?

Technorati Tags: garden,cucumbers,cauliflower,broccoli,tomatoes,sweet peas,brussel sprout,mole,vole

“Mum’s” the word

Happy Mother’s Day to my “Mum”, big sister, sister in law and all the rest of you too!  I send each of you flowers…

…and more flowers… from Momma Cat.

And, oh, I don’t know if you’ve heard but  apparently I’ve made the news (and someone’s back)…

http://news.cnnbcvideo.com/?nid=QPsW7wVQXjBU8MedhYdzjjQ4NzU5Nw--&referred_by=17742174-gi5TCOx

Okay, enough nonsense.

So what did you do today?

We ate fondue or fundue in my honor.  No nonsense here!

There was lots of chocolate though.

There were homemade cards and flowers from the chilies.

There was a beautiful dinner made by the Z-man and I.

This is Chicken with pancetta and sage, garlicky mashed potatoes, sautéed mushrooms and green beans a la orange.  You have to try this chicken.  It’s very easy.  The recipe came from Chef Marco Canora’s cookbook “Salt to Taste”.  The recipe linked above is the closest I could find on the internet to it. 

It was a great day and now I’m here finding some cheesy-ness to end this with.  Mom’s love “cheesy” on M-Day!

The Little Things

It is the little things that count
And give a mother pleasure -
The things her children bring to her
Which they so richly treasure...
The picture that is smudged a bit
With tiny fingerprints,
The colored rock, the lightning bugs,
The sticky peppermints;
The ragged, bright bouquet of flowers
A child brings, roots and all -
These things delight a mother's heart
Although they seem quite small.
A mother can see beauty
In the very smallest thing
For there's a little bit of heaven
In a small child's offering.

- Katherine Nelson Davis

Technorati Tags: Mothers Day