The Simple Things That Delight And Charm Us Now

During that time which we knew as "lockdown", (even though we were not supposed to call it that, because it sounded negative, and we were supposed to use more pleasant descriptions such as "social distancing"), so many things which had previously seemed somewhat ordinary and mundane, such as visiting and entertaining friends, working in the garden (if you were trapped in the city and unable to visit your garden), cooking for those outside your immediate bubble, all assumed suddenly greater significance and became so desirable and so much anticipated.

One of the greatest pleasures this weekend was being able to have girlfriends around again.  I used to fantasise about this while we were in our most strict social distancing phases and so even though  friends this weekend were only going to call in briefly (to drop off some fresh fish, imagine the luxury!), I wanted to make it special for us.  I baked them a cake, and made sure to serve it on my prettiest (even if unmatched) plates, and then the three of us were able to set the world to rights, even if there was a bit of interrupting and talking over each other because we were slightly overexcited after so long in captivity.

Now that we have finally been able to relax our restrictions somewhat it has been a joy to return to Shoestring Cottage.  One of my dear friends (who must have become confused, and believed that I had a birthday this month), left this beautiful little painting on card for me, near the front door.  I love to see bees working in the garden, and I particularly like foxgloves (though they are a noxious pest in parts of the country, I know), so it was perfect to find it when we arrived at Shoestring this week.

Look at the close up of the bumble bee, to me it seems to have a very purposeful expression on its face.  I am going to find a frame and keep this forever, it is so endearing. 

When I went into the garden I was pleased to see that the real bees are also still working feverishly and even to see one in the depths of the gladioli, I should think it must be amazing to be in this colourful environment when you are working.  Glowing and golden. 

To be honest, these gladioli have been a bit of a mistake on my part.  I seem to remember that they were heavily reduced at a garden centre, and I felt for them, they were looking a bit moldy and I knew nobody would ever buy them, so I took pity on them and bought them and took them home and planted them.  Little did I realise that they would grow to be immensely tall, easily three metres high some of them.  And of course I planted them near the part of the garden which I want to be all pink and purple, resulting in some hideous clashes of colour.  Mind you, there are also the orange canna lilies nearby (which I just cannot remove, no matter how hard I try), and a purple salvia, and this lemony brugmansia, which never seems to stop flowering, despite officially being a tropical plant.  It has been such a long, warm, dry season and surely the rain must come soon.  Also the cold, unfortunately.  

I love the way the ends of the flower petals are all curled and waxy and trendrilly before the flower actually opens.  

And then when the flowers do open they are almost translucent, and seem to glow, especially when night is falling.  

Thinking about my friend who gave me the bee and foxglove card, I am full of admiration to people who are artistic, and can paint and draw.  Perhaps that is why I collect all those landscapes from the opp shops, I look at them and imagine how important and significant the scenes depicted must have been to the people who painted them.  I must admit though that I don't much appreciate it when people or equipment are included in them, and I was forever grateful to my friend who took one of them home and painted out a tractor and some people, who were ruining an otherwise perfectly pleasant painting. 

Thought the skies were grey today there was still such a lot to look at in the garden.  I can never go past geranium leaves with their wonderful colours, especially the intensely greeny yellow ones which are my all time favourites. 

But these ones are great too, and they have a lovely pink blossom so that's an added bonus.  

And these ones for the sheer variety of colours included in the leaf.  I remember there was a stage (maybe in the 1990s) when designers of tapestry canvases used geranium leaves to great effect and I feel quite nostalgic about that, and would like to attempt one for old time's sake. 

Another surprise this weekend was that (in between cutting things back mercilessly and pruning things to within an inch of their lives), I discovered what I am certain is a grape vine, coming up between the bricks in a path in the garden.  I can't think where it came from, unless there was a grape vine in this garden a long time ago and it has suddenly sprung back to life.  I don't think it would have grown from a pip, though I have been growing mangoes, avocados and date palms from seeds recently, not to mention a peach or two, andt would be very interesting if it had grown from a seed.  Though I think grapes need to be grafted if you are going to get good fruit, so only time will tell.  

Our neighbours have just come to the end of Ramadan and kindly gave us cookies and Turkish delight when they were able to end their fasting period.  The Turkish delight is in beautiful shades of rose pink, green and apricot, and so pretty.  The apricot coloured pieces were banana flavoured, the green ones mint flavoured, and the pink ones rose flavoured.  Mr Shoestring was very pleased, as he adores Turkish delight and doesn't often get the chance to feast upon it.  

This weekend I worked diligently away upon that quilt I'm trying to finish (wretched thing), but it occurs to me that I need a break from this sort of quilt and I have a craving to get back to crazy quilting again.  Just looking at this one piece of crazy quilting nearly had me dragging out all the old silk ties and kimono fabrics, but I must be strong and not start anything else.  

And that was my weekend.  I hope that  wherever you may be, you have been able to find enjoyment in some simple pleasures this week, especially in view of all the changes that we are experiencing, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and all its unforeseen consequences. 

Well We Never Saw That Coming

It has been the most extraordinary time over the last few weeks and in New Zealand, as elsewhere, we have been through some huge changes and needed to be adaptable as never before in living memory.  It has changed the way we do things and approach things, probably permanently.  The COVID-19 pandemic was an event we didn't predict and definitely wouldn't have welcomed, but some good things will hopefully come out of it.

From my own perspective, I still physically went to work every day and so I wasn't as isolated and badly affected as a lot of my friends and family.  As I went out the door in the mornings I would hear Mr Shoestring and The Jackster (last born child), who were both working from home, planning their lunch time feasts, and so it was probably a good thing that I was not present to share in these gastronomic delights.  (They usually involved large amounts of fried foods and meats in particular, and I have gained a huge amount of adipose tissue during lockdown anyway, so just as well that I wasn't able to participate.) 

We badly missed coming to Shoestring Cottage.  It was forbidden to travel out of the geographical location of our home while "lockdown" was in place, and I am forever grateful to the dear friends who came and watered the garden, fed the fish and looked after my precious indoor plants.  Even my seedlings survived, such was their tender and thoughtful care. And things are still flowering, much to our surprise.  There are roses blooming and irises flowering their hearts out.

Now that we are moving into a new kind of "normal" we are looking for the good things which we found during the pandemic.  Walking in the centre of the city with no traffic around and smelling the air sweet instead of perfumed with diesel fumes was wonderful, as was hearing bird song and seeing tuis flying around in the town.  We did lots of walking and discovered some new parks we hadn't visited before.  Having come out the other end it's quite strange to get back to usual socialising but we were so happy to finally be able to catch up with Mr and Mrs Peaceable this weekend after so long in isolation. 

During lockdown when we were confined to our apartment I made great progress on a quilt I must have started about 20 years ago.  As usual, it was started to use up leftovers, and over time I must have made so many blocks that there are still a lot left over.  It is just needing the last hexagons put around the edges now, and then it will be ready for batting and backing.  As per usual, I am heartily sick of the wretched thing now, and once it is finished it will need to be put away for some time, before I can bear to look at it again and find it charming, and be glad I made it after all. 

As per usual, there are favourite fabrics which I will always try to sneak into every quilt I make.  Ones with insects

And birds, of course

Ones which are left over from the days when I used to make smocked dresses for our little girls, who are now grown women

Ones which look like chintz crockery of course

And speaking of which, here are my two most recent chintz acquisitions; a whole set of these, complete with a couple of serving plates, were given to me by that paragon among men, Mr Shoestring, for my birthday.  Surely this calls for a cakey kind of party, maybe with pink beverages and flowers everywhere, to celebrate our freedom and release from home detention?

And my dear mama gave me this beautiful one

It is hard to think that summer Art Deco Festival in Napier took place in February, that seems like a distant memory and possibly a fantasy now.  We are so pleased that we did have the opportunity of attending before COVID-19 turned all our lives upside down.  Like many people, we have resolved to spend more of our time and money investigating our own country now to try to alleviate the economic effects we are all bracing for, and looking forward to going back to Napier for a smaller and informal winter Deco festival.  It will be a much needed boost for us all, already looking forward to it and planning some costumes.  (If I can find anything stretchy enough to accommodate my growth spurt, of course.) 

Before the pandemic struck I had been tweaking this dress to make a summer outfit for next year, and I am really pleased with the result.  I used a piece of cream silk crepe de chine from a thrift store and I am liking the look of it.  I think I have a good hat and shoes somewhere for this outfit.

Pleased with the outcome of that one I used the same approach on this dress, with a linen embroidered doyley to create a collar and cuffs, and a nice green buckle to make a belt with.

We were so grateful to be given this plate rack from a friend of a friend.  It was so kind of her to donate this to Shoestrong Cottage and it has freed up space in the cupboards, as well as displaying the pretty crockery to good effect.

Just before lockdown I went into a kind of frenzy when I saw a couple of sets of pudding bowls and soup bowls complete with serving dishes, at bargain prices.  I just could not resist them and I am looking forward to getting them all out for parties again, at last. 

Wherever you are, I hope you are able to see the wood for the trees in these terrible times.  Or the birds nests, now that the trees are losing their leaves in this part of the world, and winter is on its way.  Take care, stay safe and be kind to yourself and others.  XXOOXX

PS:  Our old computer has died and I am still getting used to this new one, so please excuse the quality of photos, it will take me a while to get to grips with things and I know you, dear friends, will make allowances. 

The Exhaustion of Spring

This weekend I had plans, big plans, oh my yes.  Apart from a little light planting and mulching (on Friday I had snaffled six large bags of coffee grounds from the delightful baristas at the cafe at work, a record I think and very tricky to get downstairs and home without stretching one's arms), it was going to be indoors and stitching away on an Art Deco dress for next February.  February always rolls around a lot faster than I think it's going to but this time I was going to be prepared, oh yes indeed.  So, out into the garden bright and early on Saturday morning to plant the lily bulbs kindly donated to me by a dear friend.  Then onto the garden with the coffee grounds, first mixed in with compost.  But the weeds, the weeds were calling.  And the hanging baskets needed replanting.  And the front porch was in dire need of sweeping out and then that made me notice that some of the plants there needed attention.  On it went, and now the end of the weekend is here and not a single stitch has been put into an Art Deco costume.  After Saturday's efforts I predicted to myself that I would be too sore to continue on Sunday but it was fine.  Maybe next weekend it will be raining and there will be some enforced indoor time.  Whether it is raining or not, I must do better in the sewing room.  If I ever recover from my labours this weekend, that is.  I feel I need to return to work tomorrow for a well earned rest.  I imagine my colleagues would object if I fell asleep and started dribbling into my keyboard, though.

How lovely it was to be outside.  After the bird bath was cleaned out a male blackbird had the most lengthy bath and was a joy to watch.  And the spring light was so intense on some of the plants, the sun shining through the holes which must have been bitten into this leaf before it unfurled were casting bright shadows on the rest of the leaf, I had to stop and admire the effect for quite some time.  (And stretch out my back.)

The dark purple tulips were most obliging and blossoming their hearts out.  They are so velvety and the colour is so deep and rich, it does make a person wonder at the huge variety in the natural world.  

And all the while I was observed closely by a disapproving rabbit, who was deeply suspicious of my actions in his patch.

We had had a very eventful time before even arriving at Shoestring Cottage.  Only about three weeks ago my little Figaro car broke down on the way to the cottage, and my sister (who is a rock and the most helpful and uncomplaining sister a body could ever desire) towed us all the way to her house.  The problem was detected the next day by Mr Shoestring (yes, being an amateur is another one of his many and varied talents), and we were on the road again.  Then the same thing happened this week, and my poor sister had to turn out in the cold and dark and tow us once again.  This time I noticed that she had bought a new tow rope and torch, that is how well organised she is.  Anyway, she must have felt sorry for me, because she insisted on giving me my Christmas present early and I have been using it already this weekend.  A lovely cup, saucer, side plate and dinner plate with violets painted on it.  Perfection!

While I was using it this weekend I was musing about the fact that we love to collect things for our loved ones, once we know their tastes and likes.  Some people have very definite and predictable tastes and I am one of them, so I suppose I am easy to buy for.  My sister has been presenting me with violet china for probably about 40 years now, and I never can get enough.  She on the other hand, has a fondness for hand painted china with misty roses on it, and whenever I find a piece I know immediately that it would be perfect for her.  And my daughter only had to tell me that she had bought a pretty ceramic swan vase in an op shop in London to start me on the hunt for pieces for her.  I now have quite a selection for when she comes "home" again.  

And since the thrill of the chase is part of the fun (in fact a large part of the fun) when we are scrounging around in markets, op shops and second hand shops, the more people you have to look out for, the better.  Even if you don't find anything which thrills you to the core on your outing, to come home with a treasure for one of your dearest friends or relations is just as good, sometimes even better.  

Next time I hope to have some news about a fabulously successful Art Deco sewing session.  It's always good to have something to work towards, anyway.