Gathering Around the Table

Come and Join Me

2011-09-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

This blog is now part of my new website "Learning by Heart" Please follow me there! You can find it at
christywoolum.squarespace.com

Moving Time.....1583 Posts Later

2011-09-17T10:42:00.000-07:00

As of today I have written 1583 posts on this blog. I have composed sibling assignments, shared poetry.... lots of poetry, introduced you to my husband, family, pets, gardens, and life on Lake Roosevelt. I am moving on. I am not leaving the online world, just moving sites. It is a bittersweet good-bye to "Gathering Around the Table" and inlandempiregirl. After four and a half years I want to format my online site in a different way. The new website will have a new blog, a photo gallery, a link back to this blog, plus other features. Soon "Gathering Around the Table" will be the book I have been working on combining memoir and recipes.

The web site is very new and is still being tweaked, but please join me at " Learning by Heart... all that matters in words and photos." Give me some feedback! Thank you for following me either here or on Facebook. I have loved by online family since Feburary of 2007. Let's keep our friendship going.

Bookmark me and come join the adventure at: http://christywoolum.squarespace.com.

inland empire girl,
Christy Woolum

Sibling Assignment #151: God's Handiwork in the Cedar Grove

2011-09-05T18:54:00.000-07:00

Again we are rolling with our sibling assignments. Raymond Pert assigned this one. "Write about a particular thing that happened on our Sibling Outing that was especially enjoyable. If possible, include an image, but not required."

On Saturday, August 27th we took a sibling outing that began in Kellogg and led us through Wallace, Avery, Calder, Clarkia, the shadowy St. Joe, the Hobo Cedar Grove Botanical Area, Fernwood, St. Maries, Medimont, Lane, Rose Lake, Cataldo and more places in between. SVG came up with the idea of going to Avery after a trip she made there a year ago. Good choice!

The whole trip reminded me once again of the spectacular beauty of my home state of Idaho. It is hard to believe that after fifty-six years I continue to still find places in north Idaho that I had never discovered before. The whole day was just a blast as we laughed, remembered, reminisced,learned, relearned, laughed more, ate, talked, and snapped pictures. Yes, we always do snap pictures!

The most enjoyable time for me was finding the Hobo Cedar Grove Botanical Area at the top of a steep gravel road north of Clarkia. Being immersed in one of the most beautiful places in the inland empire and maybe even the Pacific northwest was humbling. Just realizing how long this grove had stood here was hard to believe. The trees were seedlings in 1492.

Leaving the hot sun and dusty road we were enveloped by the cool air and darkness of the cedar grove. At first the only sound was my sister narrating the tour with notes she found at the start. As she taught me about the birds and animals my brother was catching image after image of the grove through the lens of his camera.

Later we located a creek that provided a soothing sound as we rested by a bench.

We also took some time to pose. We had plans to meet Mom for dinner or we may have stayed there even longer, just the three of us. It was a place we didn't need stories of our youth,laughter, or smart remarks. It was a place we could be in harmony with nature.

As I meditated on the awesome beauty of God's handiwork, I also caught images with my camera.It was the best day.

Sweet and Savory and a Keeper from the Recipe Box

2011-09-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

I don't know if it started at Sunnyside School when we ate chili and cinnamon rolls together for hot lunch, but I love the savory tastes in beans with something a bit sweet. After camping part of the week-end we decided to use the ham bone left over from our party the other night to make a bean soup.

I also had a large zucchini just crying to be used, but I didn't want a sweet zucchini cake. I found just the right recipe online. This coffee cake is moist, delicious and not very sweet. There is a note you could add cream cheese glaze to sweeten it up. After our "camp food meals" we were ready for something simple and homey. Here is the recipe for the cake.

Zucchini Oatmeal Cake

Bake this in a 10 or 12-cup Bundt cake pan or in a 9x13x2-inch pan.

Cook Time: 70 minutes

Total Time: 70 minutes

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 sticks butter (6 ounces)
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
½ teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded zucchini
3/4 cup sliced almonds

Preparation:

Grease and flour a 10- to 12-cup bundt cake pan. Heat oven to 325°.

In a bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices; set aside. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until light. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition; beat in the vanilla. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir in shredded zucchini and nuts. Spoon into the prepared baking pan.

Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes; invert onto a serving plate to cool completely. Glaze or dust with powdered sugar or make a cream cheese glaze.

There Is a Place

2011-08-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

There Is a Place

There is a place

where the museum houses thousands of paintings

seen nowhere else in the world,

the colors so bright they grab your eyes

and hold you there, looking,

where the library is filled with brand new books

waiting for you to open them first,

to tell stories only you could know,

where fresh cherries have no pits,

where puppies never grow old.

There is such a place,

hidden deep

in me.

- Janet Wong

Porch Swing French Toast: A Keeper from the Recipe Box

2011-08-22T19:33:00.000-07:00

This overnight french toast recipe was a perfect choice when I had family here last week. It is easy. You make it ahead and people can eat when they want. Enjoy!

Porch Swing French Toast

From the Porch Swing Bed and Breakfast, Cheyenne, Wyoming

courtesy of Carole Eppler

Ingredients:

2 TBs. butter

4 eggs

½ cup orange juice

½ cup cream ( I used fat free half and half)

1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple

¼ cup sugar

1 TB. grated orange zest

½ tsp. vanilla

¼ tsp. nutmeg

1 loaf French bread, cut into 1 inch slices

Topping: ¼ cup butter, softened, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 TB light corn syrup, ½ cup chopped pecans

The night before melt butter in 9x13 pan and place bread in pan. Combine all ingredients and pour over the bread. Combine topping ingredients, except the nuts. Spread topping over bread and sprinkle with nuts. Cover and refrigerate. The next morning, preheat oven 350 and bake 40 minutes or until golden. Serves 6

The Pleasures of Ordinary Life

2011-08-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

Even though I have posted this poem before, it is worth repeating. I work at taking the time to appreciate the pleasures of ordinary life, especially through photos.

The Pleasures of Ordinary Life

I've had my share of necessary losses,
Of dreams I know no longer can come true.
I'm done now with the whys and the becauses.
It's time to make things good, not just make do.
It's time to stop complaining and pursue
The pleasures of an ordinary life.

I used to rail against my compromises.
I yearned for the wild music, the swift race.
But happiness arrived in new disguises:
Sun lighting a child's hair. A friend's embrace.
Slow dancing in a safe and quiet place.
The pleasures of an ordinary life.
I'll have no trumpets, triumphs, trails of glory.
It seems the woman I've turned out to be
Is not the heroine of some grand story.
But I have learned to find the poetry
In what my hands can touch, my eyes can see.
The pleasures of an ordinary life.
Young fantasies of magic and of mystery
Are over. But they really can't compete
With all we've built together: A long history.
Connections that help render us complete.
Ties that hold and heal us. And the sweet,
Sweet pleasures of an ordinary life.
Judith Viorst
http://www.poemhunter.com/

Gathering Around the Table: Where the Stories Are Told

2011-08-18T23:06:00.000-07:00

Visits from family always remind me how gathering around the table is a meaningful ritual we engage in many different places. It doesn't matter if my sister and I are surveying the coupons Mom just cut out for us while tasting a new french toast recipe, trying my favorite Indonesian Ginger Chicken recipe while relaxing on the deck,

sampling wine at China Bend,or moving to another outdoor table this evening surrounded by home grown green beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes. It is all about gathering around the table. ( Above are JEJ and Mom at China Bend)

Our family could have conversations that revolve around food and drink for a whole day and more and never run out of stories. An old recipe takes us back to dinner at 516 W. Cameron in Kellogg twenty years ago. Having a special Brandy Alexander reminds us of how our dad had finesse when he mixed drinks. Simple green beans with bacon can bounce us around from Grandma Woolum's to Grandma West's to Auntie Lila's,then back home to Mom's house. Bloody Marys now hold a newer special memory of the Cousin Reunion in Orofino last summer.

Tonight at dinner RP and me discussed food we liked as kids, didn't like as kids, and what foods we want to have now. We recognized that we are pickier.... not in what we eat, but more in where it is purchased or how it is prepared, baked, or stirred. He may want a better cut of meat or a fresh baked bread from a favorite local bakery. I want homegrown tomatoes, peaches from the orchard up the road, and eggs from my chickens.

As we remembered food and formed opinions about our recent eating habits, Mom's voice crept into my head. She is always reminding all of us to read the ads, cut the coupons, and buy on sale. " I was a Depression Baby you know!" (Above is Mom in a deep discussion as we enjoyed lunch at the White Bird in Northport.)

My brother must have heard the same voice in his head today when he went to town shopping. He found the shrimp on sale at Safeway, got free Starbuck's Via Iced Coffee attached to the Pike Street Market Roast, and used his Club Card.

Whether we drink coffee that was a bargain, enjoy corn on the cob regular price, or have top shelf brandy in our Alexanders.... it is really more about what happens while we gather around the table. The table can be in Kettle Falls, Orofino, Kellogg, or a restaurant in Northport. It is around the table where the stories are told.
( SVG and RP solving world problems at the White Bird)

China Bend Winery: Another Beautiful Site on Lake Roosevelt

2011-08-17T21:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we took a road trip around Lake Roosevelt and stopped at China Bend Winery. It is nestled on the western banks of Lake Roosevelt south of Northport.

This winery is well-known for its organic wines, but also canned food products and garlic that are raised on site.

There is also a bed and breakfast on located close to the winery. Victory has added beautiful touches both inside and outside.

I loved all the wine glasses illuminating the window.

Bart Alexander, the wine proprietor educated my mom on the finer qualities of organic wines.

It was a relaxed, fun day full of beauty, good food, sunshine,delicious wine tasting, and lots of conversation and laughs. Above my brother also took time to capture some beautiful photo images.

Tackling the Eyesore Gardens.... One Garden at a Time

2011-08-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

Do you have those parts of your yard, garden, or property that you might call an eyesore ? We have a few of them, but today we tackled a big one. Once upon a time we created a iris garden on the east part of our house. It was lovely at first. Then the iris stopped blooming, the huge pine by the garden sucks out all the water, and weeds started to grow. We have talked about doing something about if for over a year.

Today JEJ tackled the garden. He dug up the irises and weeds.

I divided about a hundred irises into two hundred irises. Perhaps not quite that much, but it seemed like a lot.

JEJ cleaned up the bed and put a new border around it. We will move yarrow plants in the fall. Yarrow can grow anywhere!!

Now I have my work cut out for me. Deciding where to put these plants and when to do it!!

The Tastes of Summer

2011-08-11T21:32:00.000-07:00

When I was a child the tastes of summer were Popsicles, frozen Milk Shake Bars, Green Rivers, and lemonade. The tastes only changed when I visited Spokane or Orofino where grandmothers and family members had gardens. Then it was corn on the cob, green beans cooked in bacon, beets, fresh carrots, dill for pickles,and ice cream from the creamery.

As an adult I have acquired new tastes of summer, especially since we began gardening. Summer tastes like fresh picked green beans, a tomato off the vine, the first rhubarb in a pie, and steamed Swiss chard.

It also tastes like fresh cherries, peaches, and apricots picked from the orchards close by.

Summer squash sauted in butter, radishes eaten cold, and cucumbers off the vine also say summer. I love this time of year and look forward to harvest as the fruits of our labor continue to flourish.

Homegrown Tomatoes

2011-08-10T20:23:00.000-07:00

“It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.” Lewis Grizzard

Whether I am photographing their richness, smelling their vines, studying them in my hand, or tasting my first pear tomato ....nothing beats homegrown tomatoes from a summer garden.

Geography 2: A Poem for This Social Studies Teacher

2011-08-07T20:22:00.000-07:00

I will return to teaching social studies in the fall. I love reviewing geography, Washington State history, ancient history, and current events. I was looking for ways today to combine literature and history. I was reminded of this lovely poem.

Geography 2
The land wrote itself before any
came to chart it: continents broke
and reassembled;two masses crashed
and threw a mountain range, a border
waiting for customs posts; glaciers cut
narrow valleys, close and separate,
each shuttered cautiously from its neighbour.
A coast curved itself into a haven
for shipping; a hill kept watch
on the landscape till the fort was built,
A river spread rich gentle living
over these fields; elsewhere, the want
of water made the contours stand out
like starving bones.

And when it was all ready
they came, at last, to be masters
of it all; to take up the lives
mapped out for them.

Sheenagh Pugh

Variations on a Bouquet

2011-08-06T15:42:00.000-07:00

Practicing new settings on the camera works very well with bouquets of flowers. I tried different lighting with the first set of photos here.

Next I tried different angles,zooms, and position with the bigger bouquet.

I tried to keep the big lily in every shot. How can you miss with flowers?

Faith and Hope

2011-08-05T22:15:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year I have grown to dread. The air is hot and dry. The temperatures are climbing. The wells in our community have had some difficulty. Our gardens are suffering.I have faith that all will be back to normal soon and we can give our trees some water.

Can you believe some leaves have already turned?

I have hope that the weather will also cooperate so our beautiful flowers and vegetables and fruit trees won't suffer too much. I am in the harvest perserving mode, not the leaf raking mode!!

Capturing Summer One Image at a TIme

2011-07-31T11:10:00.000-07:00

What do I want to take home from my summer vacation? Time.
The wonderful luxury of being at rest. The days
when you shut down the mental machinery that keeps life
on track and let life simply wander. The days when you
stop planning, analyzing, thinking and just are.
Summer is my period of grace.

Ellen Goodman

Christy's Simply Delicious Cherry Chutney: A Keeper From the Recipe Box

2011-07-30T23:09:00.000-07:00

We got the last ten pounds of pie cherries yesterday from Sherman Creek Orchard. Today I made a batch of cherry chutney. The original recipe was found in a book my sister gave me as a gift called Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. I changed it up to call my own today.There is nothing like the kitchen filled with the aromas of simmering cherries, Walla Walla sweet onions, spices, and raisins. If you missed out on fresh cherries you can also use frozen tart of sweet black cherries with this recipe.

Christy's Simply Delicious Cherry Chutney
Makes about 6-7 pints of chutney

41/2 tsp. whole allspice
1 cinnamon stick, broken
10 cups fresh pie cherries or frozen tart or sweet cherries, partially thawed and coarsely chopped.
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 cups finely chopped red or other sweet onion like our own Walla Wallas!
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups raisins
3/4 cup cherry liqueur ( optional)

Tie spices in a square of cheesecloth, creating a spice bag.
In a large stainless steel saucepan combine cherries, apples, onions, vinegar, salt and spice bag. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil hard, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes.

Add brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until thick enough to mound on a spoon, about 20 minutes. Add raisins and return to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add liqueur. Discard spice bag.

Meanwhile prepare canner, jars, and lids.
Ladle hot chutney into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace. Wipe rim. Add lid and screw on band. Place jars in canner and process 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes then remove jars. Let jars sit at least three weeks for best flavor.

Honoring a Fallen Soldier

2011-07-29T18:26:00.000-07:00

When I reached Colville on my way home yesterday I was emotionally moved by the reader boards outside each business that honored Army Sgt. 1st Class Wyatt A. Goldsmith.

The town lost one of their own when he died at Camp Bastion Hospital, Afghanistan, on July 15, 2011 while serving his country as a Special Force combat medic in the Helmand province of Afghanistan. He was 26 years old.

Community members from Deer Park to Colville lined Highway 395 last Saturday as law enforcement, firemen, and military personnel escorted his body to the funeral home. Many waved flags, held their hands over their hearts, or just stood in silence.

I love how communities pull together in northeastern Washington to support each other in happy and tragic times. Thank you Wyatt A. Goldsmith for your sacrifice.

More Than Walla Walla Sweets: Plate to Pixel

2011-07-29T17:51:00.000-07:00

I have been experimenting with food photography as I work through the book Plate to Pixel: Digital Food Photography and Styling by Helene Dujarndin. As we enjoyed the wide array of delicious food offerings on our trip I discovered there is much more to eat in Walla Walla than the famous Walla Walla Sweets.

The chef at the Inn at Green Gables provided delicious breakfasts that included a breakfast pizza and blueberry pancakes.

Cheese, mushrooms, and eggplant were the dominate ingredients in these savory dishes. Some famous onions were added also!

I always love to try new pasta dishes!

My sister and I were introduced to a whole new world of refreshing wines in the Walla Walla Valley.

Sister Tour 2011: Day 2 Walla Walla

2011-07-29T17:06:00.000-07:00

Day Two in Walla Walla was a day filled with beautiful sites. We loved the Lowden School that was turned into a winery, the gardens and cute birdhouse surrounding Woodward Canyon Winery, the wheat ready to harvest, and a favorite bird at the park.

Sister Tour 2011: Day 1

2011-07-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

Traveling northern Idaho and Eastern Washington one town at a time.

Final destination.... Walla Walla.

Gardening: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

2011-07-23T22:32:00.000-07:00

I had my niece say recently that she really wanted a beautiful flower garden, but she wanted somebody else to do all the work. She just wanted to enjoy it. Wise woman to realize that gardens don't just appear.

Often people see a vegetable garden right as plants are coming up or right after the weeds have been pulled or right after it has been watered and smelling of fresh dill and basil and think, "I can do this. I want a vegetable garden." That is the good part of vegetable gardening.They may not realize that vegetables require a lot of work. Today JEJ fluffed up the soil and planted more seeds. The cats decided to turn it into a litter box. That is the ugly part of gardening! When for whatever reason the strawberries decided to only produce cute, tiny berries illustrates is the bad part of gardening. Vegetable gardens are unpredictable. Vegetable gardens are also rewarding. As we bit into our first zucchini and tomato today, it was pure bliss. We have small grapes now as you can see above. Yay!

People are very kind to me on Facebook and here on my blog with compliments about my flower photos. That is one of the good parts of flower gardening. There is usually something in one of the gardens blooming beautifully when I take out the camera. At the same time there is tall grass between dying leaves on spring perennials that are spent. I don't do sweeping photos that show dead spots, mint gone wild, or yellowing leaves. That is the bad part of flower gardening. In a few weeks comes the time I dread in the growing season. In mid-August the air gets dry, the temperatures rise, and it takes all the energy we can muster to keep flowers alive. That is the ugly part of flower gardening.

To me it is worth it. Now that I don't fuss about every single weed or obsess over geraniums that need deadheading, I enjoy the process of gardening so much more. Every day there will be a good surprise in some part of the yard. Every day there will also be a perfect blooming lily that a dog knocked over while running out to greet JEJ. That happens too. I don't want to remind my husband of the numerous times I have gotten carried away with the snippers and snipped something that he had babied along. That happens also. That is bad and ugly!

If you decide to garden, start small. Try some container flowers or tomatoes. That is a fun way to start working with colors and textures. This is a new garden we started in tubs this spring in the island in the driveway. We built the gardens around our place one part at a time. Some has worked, some has certainly not. The white garden was a disaster. The red garden is working. It is all in the process!

Harvest Day at the Orchard and the Garden

2011-07-21T23:17:00.000-07:00

Our first harvest today came from the Sherman Creek Orchard up the road. For someone that loves cherries and loves to bake I can't believe I had never made a fresh cherry pie.

Well... I did today.

We enjoyed it so much I believe I will go pick up some more pie cherries tomorrow to freeze.

When I got out the Betty Crocker cookbook I remembered so well this picture of the cherry pie from my childhood. I always wanted to make this pie to celebrate George Washington's birthday, but today I didn't add any hatchets! My pie wasn't so red either.

Of course you can't come home from the orchard without fresh Bing cherries. I just wish the delectable fruit could last all summer, but then I suppose we would all be sick of them.

I also harvested food for dinner this evening. Our peas have grown very slowly, but I found enough for the two of us. When you have Bright Lights Swiss chard you almost hate to harvest the leaves because the colors are so striking. They even look striking on the plate.

The students at school raised a new kind of spinach in the greenhouse. I purchased some plants at school and we had our first taste of it tonight. It is a delicious type of spinach and is doing well in warmer weather. I will have to find out the name. I look forward to many more harvests as the growing season moves into full swing.

Where I'm From

2011-07-17T17:51:00.000-07:00

I’m from

A logging truck hauling along the rutted road,

sun peaking over the eastern mountain,

baby starlings squawking for their first feeding.

I’m from

fires in the gazebo, summer in a glass , BBQ, bluebirds,

dark soil, daffodils, dogs barking,rainbows over Lake Roosevelt.

Fresh garden peas, fresh farm eggs, fading fuchsias, fur,

water gurgling, clouds dividing, lilacs lingering, green beans sprouting.

I’m from

springtime iris, winter snow, fiery autumn leaves, gorgeous summer lilies.

I’m from

four dog memorials, cats that never came back, rabbits that grew old,

funerals for neighbors too soon and weddings in the yard,

reminders in the handwritten recipe, orange trumpet vine, a blooming dogwood,

empty pet food dishes, a collar on a nail, and a photo of two black cats.

I’m from Martin Creek, the place I call home.
by Christy Woolum

Pure Joy

2011-07-15T22:43:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you experienced pure joy? When was the last time you slowed down enough to experience pure joy. I think joy hides in our lives and often we miss it because we are too busy, too tired, too absorbed in something else, or too unaware.

When I spent time with my great niece and nephew last week-end I watched pure joy. Jack feels pure joy as he is held by my niece and his mother Adrienne ( in the photo at the top). I think both my sister and Jack felt joy in the photo above. I am not around small children very often. I need to be. They reminded me that pure joy can be found in

Dora the Explorer on a real TV,

a new swimsuit from grandma,

having fun with a new red ball,

Olivia helping out her cousin Jack,

learning to open the gate,

and discovering what a clothesline is for. It is all joy.... pure joy!

Getting Acquainted and Reacquainted in Kellogg

2011-07-14T22:44:00.000-07:00

Being at Mom's house was a perfect place to get acquainted and reacquainted with a sister-in-law, nieces, great-niece and nephew, and almost niece and nephew. Whether we were holding babies in the living room, doing tours of the garden, or saying good-bye on the porch... it was a week-end full of family time.

Vegetable Garden Beauty Revisited

2011-07-12T21:23:00.000-07:00

"As a gardener, I'm among those who believe that much of the

evidence of God's existence has been planted. " ~Robert Brault

On June 11th I illustrated garden vegetable beauty with the post here.

After being gone four days I am stunned at the changes and new beauty in the vegetable garden. Some long, sunny days and sufficient water can change plants in a very short time. Carrots from last year reseeded creating this lovely bloom.

The dill is giving the signal that it is pickle time. The beans are climbing up the poles.

Finally, tiny tomatoes.

We'll have peas for supper tomorrow.

The spinach grown in the school greenhouse is about ready to sample. Yes, God reminds us every day of his glory in flower beds, but God also leads us to the garden of vegetables to show his handiwork. A vegetable garden creates another type of beauty.... a beauty that shows persistence, growth, and sustainability.

Creating a Retreat

2011-07-05T00:06:00.000-07:00

When I first purchased my house I was in need of a retreat. I had struggled through a dark time in my life and I remember the day I first saw my house I knew if would be a place to heal. I began at that time thinking about how I could surround myself with all the things I love so I would have a place to rest and restore myself.

Meeting JEJ while he lived right across the road was not in my plans, but it sure did work out! He saw my vision of what I wanted to create. If you visited here often you know he is the vegetable planter and I am the flower girl.

Slowly our place began to take shape. We planted trees, flowers, and vegetables. JEJ created furniture from the wood around the area. We added some water features and outdoor lights, and JEJ built the best spot on the property... the gazebo. Sometimes we didn't have enough water. Other times we needed to amend the soil. Plants died and plants grew too large.

Somewhere along the way I forgot that this was my retreat. I would try to take time to enjoy what we had created, but often in the summer I was racing out of town or getting us ready for camping, or grumbling as I deadheaded and weeded.

My sister told me once she loved to come and relax at my house. My friend Tracy just spent five days here and felt refreshed and energized when she left. I think we created that retreat I yearned for fourteen years ago. I am working hard myself at taking the time to see my own place, rest among the flowers, sit and smell the mock orange, and forget about the deadheading, weeding, and fertilizing that will get done someday.

I can thank my husband first for always making me stop and notice the beauty around me ( even straw bales... right honey?) I can also be grateful to my camera. I now have a long history captured in images of where I started, where we've gone, and what we have created.

I think I will grab a cool drink and sit and reflect. I have found peace here and have slowly healed. Tracy said I am more centered now. I believe dreaming, planning, creating,working the soil, and harvesting has helped me become more centered.
I am not even looking at those weeds in the far corner. They will wait for another day.

Observing the Unexpected: Lessons Learned on a Garden Tour

2011-06-28T22:44:00.000-07:00

I'm a planner and an organizer. I can do all the planning and organizing possible in the process of gardening, but unexpected things just happen in the course of the growing season. Weather changes, soil, birds, pets, and Mother Nature, and our human hands have changed the landscape of our garden plots. While doing my daily photo walk yesterday I was struck by the unexpected changes. In the photo above I discovered it was okay to let the bishop's weed take over and fill the front bed. The variegated color provides interest and fills in empty places.

Hops have been a surprise success as a vine planted to add color and cover an unsightly pole.

I learned our trees could provide shade much sooner than planned. I now embrace the coolness in the early evening on the porch.

We can even grow fuchsias now in one of the shadier areas.

The guest cabin looks like it has always been there thanks to the Virginia Creeper, a warrior vine that twines the door, creating a natural roof to welcome our guests.

Leaving the wildflowers alone from the driveway to the road was a lesson I learned. It has allowed the wild lupines and yarrow to spread naturally. The combination of colors in the evening sun are lovely.
It I stop my lists, put away the blueprints and close my gardening books I learn lessons from our gardens. I need to pause, listen, observe, and be present. I have a feeling there is more of nature's wisdom in unexpected places.

Ten Reasons Why I Love Heyburn State Park

2011-06-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

I am not one of these jump in the car and hope to find a campsite miles and miles away kind of person. I am a researcher and planner when it comes to camping. I am a big fan of online campground reservation sites. We just returned from Heyburn State Park, my favorite campground in Idaho. As I sat and enjoyed the peaceful setting I reflected one again on why I loved it so much, other than the fact that I can reserve the site and see a photo of it online before I even get there. Here are some of my reasons:

1. The sites are roomy and you have some privacy. I never feel like I am side by side with the campers next to me.

2. The trails around the lake and the marsh are easy to manage and full of photo opportunities.

3. There are enough squirrels to satisfy Annie's obsession.
4. It is safe, clean, and well maintained.
5. If you have to get a few comforts of home.... lattes, Zips, ice, and an ATM are ten minutes away.

6. At this end of Coeur d'Alene Lake (known as Chacolet) it is quiet and scenic.

7. You can see the sun rise and the sun set from most locations in the park. This was perfect since we visited on the Summer Soltice.

8. There are lots of wildflowers.

9. You can enjoy some of the oldest Ponderosa Pines around the Inland Empire.
10.When you gather around the table while camping food just tastes better, beverages from the cooler are more refreshing, and coffee and tea just hit the spot on a crisp morning. I think that is true of any campground!

Iris: Your World For a Moment

2011-06-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

“When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it,

it's your world for the moment."

- Georgia O'Keeffe

Today I held irises in my hands and captured them through the lens of my camera. That certainly was my world for more than a moment. The weather seems just right for these beautiful flags this year. JEJ divided some so we are now seeing unique ones bloom that had been dormant for awhile. We also splurged and bought a few new ones. This collection has been taken over the last few weeks. Enjoy.

Weed Barrier Up! Before and After the Project

2011-06-18T17:20:00.000-07:00

Last week I did a post about our best solution for weed behind our deck. You can find it here.Today the new weed barrier is done thanks to the hard work by JEJ. Our solution was to move the fence forward so the weeds were out of sight out of mind. I don't have to look at this anymore:

The section of the yard looked like this earlier in the week:

Now it looks like this:

We resued the same pickets that were used when we found them. JEJ added some beautiful blue paint so it was an inexpensive project, but I can't put a dollar sign on JEJ's labor. He is priceless.

Starting the Day With Rhubarb Coffee Cake and A Keeper from the Recipe Box

2011-06-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

I wish I remember where I got this recipe. I think someone had made it at church and they shared the recipe with me because I loved it so much. Anyway... I hadn't ever made it myself so when the garden is exploding with rhubarb, the best thing to do is bake this delicious coffee cake.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

2 1/3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup butter, softened

1 ½ cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

4 cups rhubarb, cut in ½ inch pieces

1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10” bundt pan. In a medium bowl, comine pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon until well missed. In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture until smooth. Fold in rhubarb and sour cream.

Sprinkle one third of the nut mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Spread half the batter over the nut mixture. Sprinkle with remaining nut mixture then spread with remaining batter.

Bake 50-55 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Then invert the cake onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Rainbows Over Lake Roosevelt

2011-06-15T21:59:00.000-07:00

"I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant

between me and the earth."- Genises 9:13

We did behold not one, but two rainbows over Lake Roosevelt this evening. As we appreciated the beauty we wanted to capture it on film. I didn't have a wide enough lens and I was way too far way. I moved around to catch them from different angles. JEJ did what he could with his camera also.

The Best Solution for Weeds

2011-06-13T23:05:00.000-07:00

There is a section of ground behind our deck that has been a thorn in my side since I moved in the house. For about fourteen years I have struggled with what to do with it. I am blessed with a lovely view, a hedge of gorgeous roses, the vines above, but then behind it all is the dreadful weed bed.

When I lived in the house alone my brother RP pulled all the weeds once and I tried broadcasting wildflowers. Not even California poppies would grow on this strip of land. After JEJ and I were married we tried weed barrier, bark, and planting ground covers like sedum that wouldn't require much water and would spread and look lovely. The barrier wasn't a barrier, the bark slid down the hill, and half the sedum died. How do you kill sedum?
The weedeater was a temporary fix! After all the rain this spring I couldn't even see the bark that was left on the growing weed bed.

The bed right above the very large weed patch was planted by the first owners and it is lovely and the weeds are completely in control.

FInally JEJ figured out the solution. He is moving the fence forward, painting the pickets a lovely color of blue, and hiding that whole weed patch so we never have to see it again. It can blend it with the "natural" hillside that will be out of sight out of mind! He can't get that fence up soon enough!

I didn't even have to use chemicals!

Vegetable Garden Beauty

2011-06-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

My green thumb came only as a result
of the mistakes I made while learning
to see things from the plant's point of view.
H. Fred Ale

All mistakes in our vegetable garden seem to work themselves out. JEJ creates beauty when he plants the gardens at our place. This time of year as things begin to emerge from the earth, there is nothing but loveliness. There is beauty

the chives,

the strawberries,

the grapes,

and the greens.

Lessons from the Garden: My Top Ten Perennial Flowers

2011-06-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

Other gardeners often ask me which perennial flowers are my favorites in the garden. That is tough. It sometimes depends on the season and location of the plant. If you are just starting to garden, the perennial plants are the bones of your garden. They remain year after year and give structure to the garden. Often you have to move them or divide them, but they certainly are the bones. Here are my top ten perennials in no particular order:
1) Lilies: Lilies are a bulb and expensive perhaps at first, but they provide staggered color spots all through the summer. Some of them also smell very good!

2) Roses: Now that I have found hardy roses that grow well in my climate and are easy to maintain . My favorite hardy roses are "Nearly Wild", " William Baffin" ( above in bloom right now), " Honey Perfume", any climbing " Iceberg", "Betty Prior" and "John Cabot."
3) Sedum: Whether "Autumn Joy" or any of the other varieties, they are simple to grow, can be excellent ground covers , and require little water.
4) Lavender: Again... great for bones in the garden, hardy, lovely fragrant flowers, and take less water.

5)All spring bulbs: Whether you enjoy daffodils, crocus, tulips, iris or hyacinths they are worth having in the garden in the spring.
6) Chrysanthemums: They are the plant that reminds you fall is coming. The grow larger, bloom a long time, and add color after some other flowers begin fading.

7)Columbine: I started with a few and now I have more than fifty. They spread easily, bloom in lovely colors, and remind you summer is right around the corner.

8) Cranesbill: This is the perennial geranium that spreads and blooms in places that need texture and color. Some are also very fragrant.

9) Dame's Rocket: I started some from seed years ago and they are everywhere in the spring with a lovely pinkish lavender bloom...hardy and great in cut bouquets.
10) Peony: Now that mine are finally getting with it, there is nothing more lovely than the rich pink and deep red of peonies.
In the weeks ahead I will also list my favorite blooming shrubs and vines.

After the Rain

2011-06-10T09:54:00.000-07:00

The gardens after a rain is something I love to capture on film, especially right when the sun comes back out.

The rain makes the honeysuckles look so fresh.

The smell of the air is a mixture of flower aromas and clean rain.

The bridal wreath spiraea blooms are hardy in rain or sunshine.

I know in hot,dry August I will be wishing again for columbines, rain, and cool air.

Rest in Peace Kit

2011-06-04T08:29:00.000-07:00

Life will not be the same around our place again. Our Kit is gone.

You could find Kit sleeping just about anywhere.

His adopted sister is sad.

His buddy keeps looking for his mentor.

We all have something missing in our hearts that will take a long time to heal.

It Is All About Family

2011-05-31T23:51:00.000-07:00

When I take time to step back and try to figure out where I got where I am today, the common thread is family. Spending time with my mom's side of the family this last week-end made that observation even clearer. Between blooming dogwood trees,

visiting with cousins, a surprise anniversary celebration,

a birthday celebration,

a photo walk with my brother,

quality time with my husband,

gathering around the table to solve the problems of the world with family over coffee and leftover birthday cake,

and a stop at a moving Memorial Day celebration at the cemetery reminded me... it is all about family.

Celebration Night!

2011-05-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

I can't even begin to count all the students I have had in my career. Each group I have taught has had something unique they brought into my classroom. Tonight we honored our 8th grade class and I have so enjoyed teaching them for the last three years. Above are some images of the evening.

The Color Purple

2011-05-25T19:41:00.000-07:00

As flowers bloom each week different colors emerge under the direction of Mother Nature. This week the prominent color is purple in many different shades and hues. Take a walk with me.

The Best Things in Life Are Nearest

2011-05-22T21:06:00.000-07:00

"The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life." ~Robert Louis Stevenson

Hello Hostas!

2011-05-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

Hostas are funny plants to watch. One day in spring I look at the ground and there are tiny shoots popping up. Next time I go check about an inch of leaves have come out of each plant. This morning it was like they magically grew into full plants overnight! Perhaps I should call them my Exploding Hosta Plants.

Spring Migration from the Greenhouse

2011-05-19T21:55:00.000-07:00

I am still watching the nighttime temperatures, but began the ritual of bringing the plants out of the greenhouse. They wintered over beautifully this last year. I love it when I turn a plant around from the back corner and find a bloom like this.

This is a Martha Washington geranium I propagated earlier in the spring.

The newly painted boxes are holding geraniums along the path. We grow these plants in five gallon buckets, then pull them out in the fall to put in the greenhouse, then bring them back out again in the spring.

The ivy geraniums are ready to brighten up the front walk. Tomorrow is another day and more plants will find their way outside!

The Hens and Rooster Working Overtime

2011-05-18T22:52:00.000-07:00

We let our hens and rooster out to wander around free this evening. With the dogs safely in the house our feathered friends ate some bugs, scratched up some old straw, and enjoyed their freedom.

Kit didn't know quite what to think.

William also came out by the garden to check out the strange birds.

The chickens didn't seem to notice.

An Idaho Treasure: The Cataldo Mission

2011-05-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago when I was visiting family in Kellogg I made a stop at the Cataldo Mission. I love to stop and just be still on that hill above the river remembering all that has come to pass at this spot.

I remember the Cataldo Mission before it was restored. (I took this on Nostalgia setting)

I also remember it as a beacon on the hill that meant we were almost home after a long car trip.

I was reminded that it was and still is a gathering place for the Indians and many are buried here.

I remember when the river that runs behind the mission wasn't so clean.

This is probably how photos looked that I took on my 4th grade field trip.

It truly is an Idaho treasure.

Lake to a River

2011-05-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

The drawdown has caused Lake Roosevelt to be the lowest it has been in many years. Driving home each day and watching the changes is truly amazing. You can actually realize what it was like when the beginning of the Columbia River ran by my house and along the road to Inchlelium.

Another Neruda Favorite

2011-05-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

Poetry

And it was at that age ... Poetry arrived
in search of me. I don't know, I don't know where
it came from, from winter or a river.
I don't know how or when,
no they were not voices, they were not
words, nor silence,
but from a street I was summoned,
from the branches of night,
abruptly from the others,
among violent fires
or returning alone,
there I was without a face
and it touched me.

I did not know what to say, my mouth
had no way
with names,
my eyes were blind,
and something started in my soul,
fever or forgotten wings,
and I made my own way,
deciphering
that fire,
and I wrote the first faint line,
faint, without substance, pure
nonsense,
pure wisdom
of someone who knows nothing,
and suddenly I saw
the heavens
unfastened
and open,
planets,
palpitating plantations,
shadow perforated,
riddled
with arrows, fire and flowers,
the winding night, the universe.

And I, infinitesimal being,
drunk with the great starry
void,
likeness, image of
mystery,
felt myself a pure part
of the abyss,
I wheeled with the stars,
my heart broke loose on the wind.
Pablo Neruda
http://www.poemhunter.com/

Strawbale Gardening: A New Project!

2011-05-11T21:31:00.000-07:00

We have an area close to our potato patch that needs a border. We really didn't want another fence. JEJ had already worked overtime on rock borders so I didn't suggest that. What I did come up with was a row of straw bales. The dogs liked the idea.

I saw an article on doing straw bale gardens and thought it would be fun to fill the bales with flowers that would cascade down the newly formed border. The bales were cheap, they will add structure to the garden, and there will be more beautiful color as the summer progresses.

Recently the bales have been a source of hunting for all our four-legged friends. I think some mice may have come with the bales from the feedstore.

If you want to see how to make straw bale gardens that look like this, go to :
http://www.strawbalegardens.com/

Plate to Pixel: Lessons In Food Photography

2011-05-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

I love to study food photography in cookbooks, magazines, and online. Tartelette has always been one of my favorite foodie blogs. Helene Dujardin's photography is exquisite and she inspires new ideas for cooking and styling.

What I have learned in my own experimentation is that food photography isn't easy. It is hard to make that slice of apple pie look as yummy as it does in the magazine spread. My pares in a bowl don't look as artistic as the cover of the book.

I just finished reading Dujardin's new book Plate to Pixel: Digital Photography and Styling. Below I have posted a collection of food photos from my practice sessions. Take time to visit her blog Tartelette. You can find it here.

Dujardin suggests showing ingredients or steps to making a recipe.

She suggests looking at coordinating colors. Mom's Fiestaware works well for that! Other things I tried were

going simple by squeezing a lemon,

paid attention to outdoor light,

natural indoor light,

and the rule of thirds.

Maybe My Favorite Place to Shop!

2011-05-09T19:28:00.000-07:00

Some women love to shop for shoes. Some love purses or new jeans. Me? I love to shop for plants. Nurseries are one of my favorite places on earth to visit.

Yesterday on my way home from Kellogg I stopped and spent an hour surrounded by the beauty of bedding plants, smells of summer, and the misty air in the greenhouse.

I know if some on you won the lottery you would go on a cruise, buy a fancy car, or buy diamonds.

Me? I would go and buy more plants! Here is the back of my car loaded up!

Dinner for the Moms

2011-05-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

It is always good to return to Kellogg, but yesterday it was added fun to see my niece Z2 go off to the prom and have my other two nieces help prepare a Mother's Day dinner for my sister and mom. My nieces are turning into quite the chefs' assistants.

First we said farewell to Z... she was off to the Masquerade Ball.

Next we started on dinner preparations. Kiki Aru was in charge of the Greek Watermelon Salad.

The Princess was preparing the Garlic Cheddar Biscuits.

I had to be the Sangria taster.... darn.

They also helped serve the pie after dinner. Happy Mother's Day!

There's No Place Like Home

2011-05-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

My favorite place to be in the whole wide world is my own home and garden. My second favorite place to be is my Mom's house. I did one of my favorite activities today. I lounged around in my childhood living room in my flannel pajamas drinking coffee and visiting with my mom most of the morning. What a relaxing day!

Now I am preparing dinner for my two favorite moms.... my mom and sister.

Come Rest Awhile

2011-05-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Come, rest awhile, and let us idly stray
In glimmering valleys, cool and far away.

Come from the greedy mart, the troubled street,
And listen to the music, faint and sweet,

That echoes ever to a listening ear,
Unheard by those who will not pause to hear

The wayward chimes of memory's pensive bells,
Wind-blown o'er misty hills and curtained dells.

One step aside and dewy buds unclose
The sweetness of the violet and the rose;

Song and romance still linger in the green,
Emblossomed ways by you so seldom seen,

And near at hand, would you but see them, lie
All lovely things beloved in days gone by.

You have forgotten what it is to smile
In your too busy lifecome, rest awhile.

Happy Week-End!

Lucy Maud Montgomery

Tulips Are My Favorite Spring Flower... Well....Maybe This Week!

2011-05-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

I don't remember tulips growing up in Kellogg. Early spring is a bit of a blur. We seemed to go from winter to a long gray period with smelter smoke/fog surrounding us, to summer. Somewhere in there the lilacs bloomed, but I don't remember much else until we put the petunias and pansies in the bed under the kitchen window. I do remember tulips at Grandma's house in Spokane. Tulips always reminded me of Holland and wooden shoes and windmills. I like seeing tulips in storybooks. They were always so bright and cheery. Now I can enjoy my own tulips. We do have spring. We found newer colors last fall to plant and I really love the results. Enjoy!

The Greenhouse Move: Maybe Soon?

2011-05-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

When I took a tour of the greenhouse this afternoon I loved photographing the plants and flowers that had sustained through the long winter and spring.

I think these plants are ready to go back out to the outdoors. I am thinking that maybe soon, but not too soon. The Kenworthy Ivy is blooming! Mother Nature is still messing with our weather I do believe!

The plants I propagated are growing nicely.

The geraniums look ready for planters. Hurry sun!

I Live By This Water: The Drawdown on Lake Roosevelt

2011-05-03T19:46:00.000-07:00

A shift in the landscape east of the Cascades during the 1930s took place between the rocky cliffs of the Columbia River with the construction of Grand Coulee Dam. As the turbines began to produce electricity, the Columbia River flooded the land behind the dam creating Lake Roosevelt. I live by this water. When this man-made lake in northeastern Washington was formed, it covered orchards of trees, foundations of homes, and sacred burial grounds. The fishing weirs built by the Colville and Spokane Indians to catch the native salmon disappeared. Living by water I sometimes forget this lake used to be the Columbia River so many years ago. The drawdown is a reminder.

As the snow melts and the trees begin to bud we watch for the signs of the drawdown from our deck. The shoreline across the lake shows up more and more with the sandy beach getting wider and wider. Long, narrow sandbars appear close to shore as the level of the lake drops. The commuters at our local school begin talking about having to drive all the way around if the water gets too shallow and the ferry can’t operate.

While walking the shores of the changed landscape I begin to understand what creating Lake Roosevelt did to the native people. Two thousand tribal members were displaced. Homes and businesses were lost. As my students walked along the path of old Inchelium last spring and stood on foundations of old buildings and marked the places where family houses had been, they too began to understand how the mighty dam and Lake Roosevelt affected their people. Elders sadly explained how there was an attempt to move all the bodies from the cemetery. Some things couldn’t be salvaged.

I live by this water and love watching the sun rise and reflect on the blue lake, but I also look forward to driving closer to Canada and seeing the river in its natural form at the headwaters of the Columbia. Eagles, moose, deer, and coyotes also continue to live by water close to the shores of Lake Roosevelt. Bald eagles are at home along the shores of the lake as they dive for fish in the deep blue water. The native people have found new places to fish. New land was found for the cemetery.

I live by this water. I hope to visit the remains of Old Inchelium again with my students as we celebrate the beginnings of a town moved up a steep mountain and rebuilt. I will walk quietly along the shore so as not to disturb the deer drinking in the shallow water. I will listen to the stories from the elders to gain a deeper understanding of what is sacred. As the bald eagle circles above the pine trees by the lake, I am reminded of a renewed sense of respect I feel for the lake and land around me. I live by this water.

Maybe I'll Get to Fill Those Planters With Flowers

2011-05-02T19:08:00.000-07:00

The makeover of the new island in the middle of our driveway is close to complete. There used to be two small islands in our very large driveway, but we removed the large trees, then took out the islands.

Later it was decided (pushed very hard by yours truly) that we needed to do an extreme makeover of the driveway again. First we got nice light brown gravel.

Then we found two beautiful trees that will provide shade eventually, change colors in fall, provide berries and not just shed needles and cones.

Next JEJ knew he wanted to build a rock wall. He has built beautiful rock walls around our gardens,so why not another? The hard work began.

After that somehow he moved the barrels from another garden and stacked them with the dirt still in them.

I added a few more items and he brought in a load of bark. The finishing touch will be beautiful flowers cascading down from the barrels. Thanks JEJ. Great job.

Maybe Spring

2011-05-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

The theme for NaBloPoMo this month is "Maybe". Maybe I will be able to do a post a day again in May!?!

I am thinking today as I look out on the lake that maybe spring has finally arrived her in the inland empire. The sun is shining, the potatoes are planted, flowers are blooming, and the ants have arrived in the house. Here are some signs of spring at our house.

Forsythias are blooming,

potatoes are planted,

tulips are in bloom,

and the Lucy Garden is ready for outdoor dining. Yes, maybe spring has arrived.

I Did It! Thirty Posts in Thirty Days

2011-04-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

I did thirty posts in thirty days. I hope I sprouted interest in poetry with my April posts.

One Art

2011-04-29T22:17:00.000-07:00

One Art

The art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant 
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.


--Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan't have lied.  It's evident
the art of losing's not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

by Elizabeth Bishop

Filling the Vase

2011-04-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

My brother was the visiting writer at our NIWP retreat in McCall and an exerice he did about writing inspired this poem. The flowers are a reminder of summer blooms from the garden a few years ago.

Filling the Vase

Writing is wandering through the

garden path harvesting morning flowers.

Gathering leaves, finding fillers,

snipping blossoms as they begin to open.

Pausing to reflect and even observe

while paying attention to the smells.

Gold, chartreuse, and deep red become the wondrous words,

thorny stems phrases cut too deep.

The combination of textures sort the sentence variety

over powered by the sweet scent of similes.

The violet vase is the vessel of form

Aligning the sentences, arranging the words,

Taming texture with attention to audience.

Place the bouquet on the farmhouse table,

or away for a spell to let the contents settle.

Christy Woolum

June 24, 2008

Who

2011-04-27T20:44:00.000-07:00

Who

by Jane Kenyon

These lines are written

by an animal, an angel,
a stranger sitting in my chair;
by someone who already knows
how to live without trouble
among books, and pots and pans…
Who is it who asks me to find
language for the sound
a sheep’s hoof makes when it strikes
a stone? And who speaks
the words which are my food?

In the End We Are All LIght

2011-04-26T22:16:00.000-07:00

At least once a year I have to post this poem! This one is one of my favorites.

In The End We Are All Light

I love how old men carry purses for their wives,

those stiff light beige or navy wedge-shaped bags

that match the women’s pumps,

with small gold clasps that click open and shut.

The men drowse off in medical center waiting rooms,

with bags perched in their laps like big tame birds

too worn to flap away. Within, the wives slowly undress,

put on the thin white robes, consult, come out

and wake the husbands dreaming openmouthed.

And when they both rise up

to take their constitutional,

walk up and down the block, her arms are free as air,

his right hand dangles down.

So I, desiring to shed this skin

for some light silken one,

will tell my husband, “Here, hold this,”

and watch him amble off into the mall among the shining

cans of motor oil, my leather bag

slung over his massive shoulder bone,

so prettily slender-waisted, so forgiving of the ways

we hold each other down, that watching him

I see how men love women, and women men,

and how the burden of the other comes to be

light as a feather blown, more quickly vanishing.

-Liz Rosenberg

A Jar of Buttons

2011-04-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

A Jar of Buttons

This is a core sample
from the floor of the Sea of Mending,
a cylinder packed with shells
that over many years
sank through fathoms of shirts -
pearl buttons, blue buttons -
and settled together
beneath waves of perseverance,
an ocean upon which
generations of women set forth,
under the sails of gingham curtains,
and, seated side by side
on decks sometimes salted by tears,
made small but important repairs.
-Ted Kooser

Easter is Hope: Images of Garden Valley Community Church

2011-04-24T17:49:00.000-07:00

"The great gift of Easter is hope - Christian hope which makes us have that confidence in God, in his ultimate triumph, and in his goodness and love, which nothing can shake." Basil C. Hume

Today I wanted to catch the Easter spirit in photo images at church. Our little Garden Valley church was busting at the seams with 80 people praising today.

Cute shoes!

Lovely dress

Pastor Shane

Celebration!

Amen!

A Garden Room

2011-04-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

In the winter when the weather is freezing and snow blankets the gardens I like to do decorating in the house. When the sun comes out like it did today I like to begin redoing garden rooms. My rooms may be in a corner between fences, a shady spot behind the greenhouse, or the middle of the wedding garden.

Today I worked on the Lucy Garden. This garden is in memory of my dog Lucy. It is where she is buried. It is an area behind the gazebo that used to be empty. When we buried Lucy there we began to add plants.

Last summer we redid the Lucy Garden into a BBQ eating area. Today I added even more.

Grayson was my assistant.

We decided tonight as we rested and watched the sun go behind the trees that this could be one of our favorite spots around the place.

Happy Earth Day!

2011-04-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

The earth is what we all have in common.-- Wendell Berry

Concerto for Early Spring: An Original Abecedian Poem

2011-04-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

"An abecedarian poem is a special form of an acrostic poem, in which the initial letters of the words beginning each line or stanza spell out the alphabet in order.

Psalm 119 is one of the earliest famous abecedarian poems, the song arranged in sections according to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, each of which is featured in its own section. Geoffrey Chaucer’s “An ABC” is an abecedarian poem based on his translation of a prayer to the Virgin Mary in Guillaume de Deguileville’s allegorical poem Pèlerinage de la Vie Humaine (Pilgrimage of Human Life)." about.com

This form of poetry is very fun to try. Here is one I wrote.

Concerto for Early Spring

After winter

Bulbs began to awaken

Crocus do the maiden voyage

Despite the snow.

Ever hardy daffodils emerge,

Forsythias' buds begin to swell

Giving us hope for early spring.

How long before we till the earth?

Ice still covers the pond,

Just a bit of snow remaining in the garden plot,

Knowing birds are now being sighted,

Longer days begin,

Morning sun has shifted,

Nests will soon be constructed

Over the wedding garden.

Presiding over the concerto the

Quail quickly cross the road,

Robins look for worms,

Starlings return to their same house

Too high to tempt the cats.

Until this season arrives

Very soon I hope

We'll sit by the fire

X-tremely excited for a change while

Yearning for shades of yellow and green

Zigzagging through the yard.

by inlandempiregirl

Christy Woolum

Woman Who Loves Gardening

2011-04-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

Woman Who Loves Gardening

I have dirty nails

and rarely paint them, living out

my long growing season in the flower garden, trellises

giving view to clematis, Stargazer lilies

whose aromatic flowers

grow in profusion.

I pull the weeds

in the early morning

gritting my teeth

wiping sweat from my brow

and listening

to footsteps of my husband

coming in range to help.

Sun makes my face red;

each sniff with my nose

leaves lily pollen behind.

When I rest it’s the beauty

that causes anxiety to shake loose

from a woman in need

of a quiet place to retreat.

inlandempiregirl

Christy Woolum

June 20,2007

Traveling the Rivers of Washington

2011-04-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

The Pend Orielle River by Metaline Falls

Traveling the Rivers of Washington

In Washington state

rivers flow out of the mountains,

connect to guide travelers,

merge with the ocean,

and roll on to the Columbia.

Coastal Indians paddled the Nisqually, Nooksack, Quinault;

Northern bands camped on the Kettle, Colville, Sanpoil, Okanogan;

Explorers relied on the Spokane, Yakima, and Palouse;

Missionaries journeyed close to the Touchet, Tucannon, and Walla Walla;

Locals love the sound of Methow, Pend Oreille, Puyallup;

Wynoochee, Chehalis, Skykomish, and Elwha;

But when it comes to spelling them-

My favorites are Green, Snake, Lewis, and Rock.

by inlandempiregirl

Christy Woolum