We had our first no-art day (or at least, as I write this, the one day when neither of us did art). But there was a good reason. Absolutely grim porch weather (and that's where we work) kept us inside. That's changing as our temps return to normal and the rain and gloom is a thing of the past.
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That doesn't mean we haven't been productive or having fun at our two-person art camp! The past few days have been very productive -- and also fun!
My friend Kate and I began our annual "art camp" holiday at the lake this week. For those who aren't familiar, there is no scheduled program. It's just the two of us, creating our own art, sometimes sharing a technique or video, and spending the rest of the time walking, reading, watching a video, maybe (if the weather is right) swimming.
We kicked it off by getting some provisions at the farmer's market -- cherries, peaches and blueberries are hitting their stride and fabulous!
Join me on a little walk around the cottage! It's a mix of things in the wild and those carefully cultivated by happy cottage owners.
One of the first things I see when I leave the house is a patch of tiger lilies in the woods. I don't know if anyone planted them there long ago or if they somehow migrated from someone's lawn. But they are lovely.
So, what is life like at the lake in the summer? In a word, wonderful.
There are too many adjectives from which to choose -- fun, relaxing, delicious, joyful, mesmerizing, calming. Life at the lake comes with its own soundtrack, one that combines the sound of waves on the water or wind through the pines, with the mellow sounds of classical guitar and the sounds of birds, both in the water and in the trees. There is definitely an abundance of critters.
Our recent Saturday began with Rick's bike ride. He's having a lot of problems with his bike and waiting for a new part to arrive. That means rides are shorter and closer to home. (We still don't know about his upcoming Canadian trip yet.)
But he took off in good form, happy to be in motion!
June 29 was a cold, wet, rainy summer day. As soon as I was up and dressed, I fed Lizzie, picked her up from her bowl and tossed her into the cat cage for the ride north. She wasn't amused but it was a good grab and we were on our way. Several hours later we arrived -- still cold, west and drizzly but at our destination!
Lake life started on a cooler note, though due to pick up in the week to follow. Meanwhile it is good to get the car unpacked and settle in. The first thing I noticed when I drove in was the the fellow doing the yard had actually done it! Hooray!
June wasn't the banner reading month I'd hoped but I was pretty satisfied with those I read. The list includes two memoirs, three good mysteries and one I wish had been better than it was.
Well, I'd been living in the "heat dome" (along with many of you) for over a week and finally had a window to get to the cottage to bring up a load of stuff for the summer. I eagerly awaited the cooler temperatures, the nearness of the water, just getting back north and living in that sublime state called "Lake Time."
And then it started to rain up there. Day after day of raindrops (often at high percentages) decorated the weather pages and so I postponed my five day weekend to a four day, then to a three day. I can't say that the arrival was dry, but it wasn't pouring and I decided to take that as a win.
My aunt Iris and her husband moved more times that I can remember and it seemed like every time they packed and moved, fewer things went along to the next place. Yes, they might be replaced -- or maybe not. I was thinking about Iris as I put my basement back together after the mold removal. I was an only child raised with parents who "collected," and I think doing so must be in my gene pool.
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| With my aunt Iris, several years before she died. |
As I was putting things back together, I began to wonder if that was a good gene to have!
Last post I mentioned that we were kid sitting with our two favorite small people, while their parents celebrated their tenth anniversary. (One is seven, the other almost six.) There wasn't a lot of sitting!
It has been a full, fun couple of weeks, by and large. We are on the threshold of summer (although our weather is so erratic it is sometimes hard to tell!). But that hasn't stopped some walks, theatre, basement work, painting and more.
As you might guess by now (if you've not followed us forever), our Corkies are just real-life people who like wine. Some know a little more than others technically but the main thing is we enjoy trying new things and more or less getting away from the shelf at the grocery store and most of the "name brand" wines and seeing what an array of wines are available at different price points. (And yes, we also have enjoyed wines you get at the grocery store that are available pretty much anywhere.) We don't take ourselves too seriously but we always depart having had a lot of fun and usually adding another potential wine or two to our personal favorites list.
After spending years working on my family history and pulling together a rather hefty book on the subject (it weighs in at two pounds and 309 pages!), I thought I'd share a few things I discovered along the way that, should you decide to engage in such a project, might make your journey a little easier.
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| An inch thick, two pounds, many years of research and 309 pages! |
Early summer. You can't beat it -- temps are warming but not hot, sometimes with a breeze. Here in Michigan where we often have cloudy days, the sky has been blue and the days bright. (OK, a little rain, but that's good for the yard!)
I've been doing a little painting, a little reading, a little walking. Cataract surgery kept me from lifting or bending for a week so I'm looking forward to actually bending over and deadheading my geraniums!
I'd hoped to get in another book this month but I'll happily settle for six diverse ones. On the list, a best selling book looking back at the history of '60s presidents Kennedy and Johnson, a Hallmark-ish type of novel, a White House mystery written by a president's son, a thriller, a fascinating behind-the-scenes diary of the designer of the musical "My Fair Lady," and a funny little cat book. Definitely diverse!
Just a quick one today. We had a lovely Memorial Day weekend. On Friday, it was the first eat-outside-day of the season.
Rick fired up the grill with a pork tenderloin. It was perfect!
We have a busy few weeks coming up -- it's Memorial weekend and my friend Suzanne is coming by; an upcoming Cork Poppers in another week or two and kid-sitting for a few days in mid-June. This will be a pretty laid-back weekend, planting flowers at the cemetery, picking up the house for company and just hanging out. So I'm grabbing all the peace and beauty I can get these days!
Rick got back from the lake this week and I have to say it was good to see him! We made progress planning our England trip and just catching up. He says all is well at the cottage and I'm looking forward to getting to the lake next month.
I'll start with a pretty photo! One of my favorite blooms, the allium is short lived but so fabulous while it lasts!
Rick and I joined the many others in the world trying to get a glimpse of the Northern Lights last week. I had visions of taking marvelously splashy photos of pinks, purples and greens in the dark night sky. I would do watercolors of them all. Ah, the stuff dreams are made of.
And guess what! There aren't four babies. And, as some of you thought, there aren't five.
Every time I visit the Ditch, the trees are greener and more filled out and there are more lily pads on the water. A few of the flowering trees remain, but not, I think, much longer.
Mother Goose is still sitting and still being carefully guarded.
Cataract surgery slowed down my reading time in April (and it will continue this month, too). But All the books I read were well worth reading! As usual, most were mysteries but the gem was a non-fiction work.
It has been a quiet week here at the homestead, with Rick on his bike hike. And sometimes, that quiet is good! I've enjoyed some walks and seeing how lovely it is now that spring seems to be setting in for real.
There's a lot of pink in those trees but the green is coming in quickly.
The house is full of flowers, some from the garden. . .
I went in my email to sort through comments on the last post (the Tornado post) and somehow I deleted all of them. Note to self. Do not go NEAR the delete button when the eye that can read a computer screen is covered by a patch. I'm sorry, gang. If you asked a significant question, ask again and otherwise, thank you so much for commenting and sharing your memories on that post.
Before the surgery, our weather took a turn for the really-terrific so I headed back to the Ditch. I was surprised and delighted to see the return of Ellie the Egret.
No one has fun during a tornado warning. And around here, we take them pretty seriously, as last summer's tornado in our area proved both deadly and destructive. This is what the last one did.
So when we heard the siren, Rick and I gathered up Lizzie (who really did NOT want to go to the basement) and headed downstairs. It looked like it might be close to an hour before it was over. We were taking no chances.
"Camp RicStar" is about a music camp for those of all ages with special needs. The camp, which is in June (and filling up fast for 2024), is open to those with any type of disability and of any age. Scholarships are available for those with financial need.
There has been a lot of gloomy weather here and truth be told, my walking legs haven't been up to par of late. But on a rare sunny day I knew I had to check out the Ditch and see what was happening. The first thing that hit me were the wispy splashes of green that screamed "Yes, spring really IS coming!"
That was followed by a burst of white blossoms. Not all the trees are in flower but this one was leading the pack.
The geese were out in full force and no matter where one looks, it is likely you'll see a nest or a goose or maybe both.
Like many of you, Rick and I enjoyed this year's eclipse. It may not be a once in a lifetime event for many of you but for me it probably is, so we maxed it out!
We left in the morning to drive two hours to Toledo where Rick's Aunt Carol lives. Totality was supposed to be 99 percent there, better than Lansing.
Reading was my escape in the weather-weird, basement-boggling month of March. Somehow I managed to pull off seven books. Most were mysteries, and one, Rachel Maddow's astonishing "Prequel," was as frightening as a thriller and all too real.
I can't say I'm sorry to flip my calendar to April. In "The Waste Land," T.S. Eliot wrote that April is the cruelest month. But March -- at least this March -- has definitely been the weirdest.
This coming weekend is Easter -- March 31. I'm not a fan of early Easter. I wish they'd just pick one date in mid-to-late April and stick with it! But, I don't set the calendar so you go with what you've got.
I have a lot of Easter memories -- some good, some less so. This year will be a little different because the grands are in Florida for the holiday so no annual egg hunt.
I subscribe to an art newsletter from the delightful Lucia Leyfield, who offers online classes and work-alongs. In a recent issue she posted the quote above and boy, did that resonate.
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| From my art journal, a good 10 or more years ago. |
It completely freaks me out that Easter is almost here! Two dear friends birthdays passed me by and I realized that today is officially spring, at long last! I sort of feel like I've been living under a rock!
It has been a good -- if busy -- month. Work on the basement persists, the next proof of my book has come and been returned with corrections and we had a great weekend with the grands. All good. The cataract surgery is back on the schedule and physical therapy proceeds well. I had a lovely belated birthday lunch out with my friend Kate on one of the nicest of days. There are even a few bunnies around the house!
This seems to be the year for home reno in our world. You've heard about my basement, but Rick has also been hard at work -- first, on his rental duplex and now on one of his bathrooms. Kevin came to help him tear things apart and since Molly and the Camster had another engagement, I said I'd have a Carson day! It would include a play, some dinosaurs and more than a few fish!
Life moves on, one day, one pile at a time. Every now and then you need a diversion and a good smile!
Our oldest grand turned seven at the beginning of the month so we headed to their house for his birthday. When we arrived there was a big bus in front of the house -- and not a kid to be seen! They had all stepped inside the bus for a video experience!
February is a short month. But that's no excuse for a low-reading month. So, I come before you with no excuses -- and only two books completed (though well onto the way of March's first book!).
I will say the past couple of months have been stressful but I also felt a bit more was accomplished! There has been some fun, too -- so we'll start there. But first, my winter bunny!
Rick hosted a house concert featuring his guitar teacher, Brad DeRoche. Somehow we packed about 50 people into his living room for a cozy afternoon of wonderful music.
Why do I like this recipe above all others? Basically, it's easy! I use a blender, not a food processor, so in other recipes, where you add the oil at the end, in this one you do it first and it gives enough liquid to move the basil and not clog the machine. And it's so good! I'll put a few recipe ideas below.
Lovely life goes on here and February has included a visit from a good friend, Cork Poppers (which I hosted), and more! Valentine week started on Monday with a surprise delivery of flowers from a dear friend. They're so cheery and I loved them!
Rick made a wonderful Valentine's Day dinner. This is the first year I haven't written a poetry book for him about our past year. January just got out of control and I feel kind of sad about it, though I may pony up later in the year. But I did paint a valentine! So that helped assuage my conscience a wee bit.
Our February Cork Poppers gathered at my house (crammed in between Christmas trees and decor because the basement is awaiting its mold removal!). Since it was only a few days before Valentine's Day I decided the theme should be "Wines We Love" and every couple was to bring a particular wine or a type of wine (Pinot Grigio, Malbec, etc.) that they loved. Or from a place they loved. Shouldn't be hard (and it wasn't)!
Not long ago, that furry, red, Muppet favorite, Elmo, asked on X (Twitter) "How are you doing?" And boy, did people tell him! The consensus? The people weren't doing all that well with stress related from everything to illness to job issues, family problems to the nitpicky problems that occur in day to day life.
It's probably good I didn't see that tweet because I would have added my two cents, too! We've been having a bit of a rough time of it here this winter. On one hand, I have been dealing with some health issues along with computer challenges and the mold problem. Rick, meanwhile, has been dealing with some challenging things related to the transition of his business. And Lizzie is having a few issues too. We've all been struggling and, fortunately, have each other for support.
But we're not the only ones. I've noticed a number of bloggers are going through challenging times with either illness or the illness of family members. Another blogger has been trying to get action from an insurance company after a fire. Still more have work issues or family issues. Lots of us are stressed politically. We all have something sometime.
As I've often said before, we all get a turn, and this is ours. Maybe yours, too.
