Times are a-changin'

 

 

Downtown Twisp is still a major work in progress. There's also new commercial and housing construction everywhere you look. Suddenly, it seems everyone wants to live in Twisp. 

 

 

Wide sidewalks going in on Glover Street, near Amanda and Tom's old place. We are all so thankful the family moved out to the bucolic farm in Carlton.

Speaking of construction, even our little backwater river street is not immune. Someone just bought the small lot next to our driveway. Will they build a ugly Seattle style narrow box? They are following me...

Anyway, at this stage of the game, only so many things one person can worry about. Like beavers. My excellent property management company said they will wire wrap our close in trees this fall to try and save them. Not to mention, save our house from a giant crashing cottonwood tree. The beavers sure don't give a you-know-what. They were here first. 

 

 

But some things are still the same like the friendly little taco stand in town where we had lunch today.

We are heading back to Seattle tomorrow before heavy rain on Wednesday, which makes for miserable mountain driving. But I'll be back again in a couple of weeks to take advantage of lovely September. There is already a nip in the air and that slight feeling of fall urgency people get, especially in rural areas. 

The girls went back to school today. Maya in 8th grade, Nova is a senior! 

 

 

While the cats away

 

 

 

While we were gone, the beavers kept busy chewing down a large tree. Good job, guys. A perfect hit and it smashed one of my river chairs. And I thought they only "worked" in the winter. 

 

The trunk is so heavy it won't budge without a chainsaw. Maybe I can hack out the pieces. It does look pretty trashy. Oh well, I wanted new ones next spring anyway.

 

Other than that, everything is fine here-- the house just as clean and neat as when I left in June. The lawn was generously irrigated all summer which was wasteful but looks great. 

Best of all, we bought some rain along yesterday, always a rare gift here in parched central Washington. When we stopped at Lone Pine for lunch, the air smelled like someone had just just dumped water on a campfire. A good thing. 

More later... 

Plum tuckered out

 

Six jars of jam, seven pints of plum halves and I forget how many jars of chutney. 

Anyway, a nice stash. It is satisfying (in a trad wife sort of way) seeing those jars lined up. And still many plums left on the tree for family, friends, and scavenging neighbors. 

. 

Homemade jam is messy. I cleaned the counters, stovetop and put the canning paraphernalia back in the basement for now. Maybe I'll drag it all out again for applesauce in September, and if I scrounge a few pears from the Carlton orchardists, preserve something with those. It was not a good year for fruit over there. 

 

 

What a  pretty little "Peaches and Cream" cake John bought at Metropolitan Market. Best not to think about what they put in that "icing" to make it so good-- creamy dense and not overly sweet. Wonderful mouthfeel. Must be the fat. In the old days, bakers used Crisco and probably still do.

What was the occasion? Well, how about life returning to some semblance of normal. 

We have not been to our Twisp home since June, sad! But we're finally going back for a long weekend.  We haven't left Seattle for months, and smoky or not, a river change of scene sounds terrific. 

Late bloomers

 

The hydrangeas have been wonderful all summer, and now the subtle colors are even prettier in the slanting afternoon light. A fleeting moment, as they will soon turn brown in the the fall rain. We've probably seen the last of the 80 degree days in western Washington. 

But there are still nice days ahead, and I hope to make up for lost summer time and enjoy next month. We followed up this week with my new cardiologist (who didn't seem too worried about anything) also my personal doctor (ditto) and no new appointments scheduled until October. Yay. 

Who doesn't love September? No wonder so many poignant songs and poems have been written about September. 

When you’re young you prefer the vulgar months, the fullness of the seasons. As you grow older you learn to like the in-between times, the months that can’t make up their minds. Perhaps it’s a way of admitting that things can’t ever bear the same certainty again.

Julian Barnes
From "Flaubert's Parrot"

 

 

 

A fine little poem

 

By William Carlos Williams, 1934

Good poetry does not need grand or tragic subjects. Grab the plums when you see them and live happily in the present. 

 

 

And it's not like there's any shortage around here at the moment.

(I did not steal that Trader Joe basket. John found it out in the alley and I'm repurposing.)

Now we're cooking

 

 

The flowers are mostly finished in our bedraggled looking yard, except for the last roses of summer giving it their all. August is an easy month for the gardener with nothing much required except watering and deadheading-- it's been so dry even the weeds have given up until the fall rains arrive.

Good thing, because I'm not back to my normal activity levels yet. This is the longest stint I've ever spent staying just at home and I'm getting pretty restless. Yesterday I took my first sole driving excursion (to Safeway where else?) and even that felt liberating, doing something resembling my normal life. 

I've recovered from the hospital and feeling pretty dandy other than medication side effects brought on by the sudden lower blood pressure. Maybe, too low. Hopefully that gets adjusted when we see the cardiologist tomorrow for follow up. This is a trial and error thing in the beginning. 

 

We canned 14 jars of plum chutney on Saturday, so that's progress, although picking 8 pounds barely made a dent in the tree.

And I made a traditional German plum kucken, which was good with vanilla ice cream in front of the television. We've been watching old BBC Masterpiece Theater detective series, the ultimate escapist TV. 

Non-atttachment

 

 

Nice numbers. What a relief.

I watch nature videos on YouTube now while I take my blood pressure. What's the big deal? 

My hypertension was an ongoing issue for months, shuffling me between unhelpful appointments, then urgent care, then finally the emergency room and hospital. It's too bad it took a medical crisis to finally get the right care, but I'm grateful.  

And along the way, I developed this phobia about using a home monitor. When I saw those scary numbers, I panicked. Honestly, who wouldn't? Anyway, that started the classic negative feedback loop. 

Speaking of observation: 

"The ability to observe and not instantly react is the highest form of spiritual intelligence." Blah blah blah. 

Total non-attachment to outcome is the stuff of saints and monks. We can try, but we're fighting human minds naturally wired for instant judgement and flight or fight reflex. 

Many good things have already come from this ordeal, some small, some life changing. As the numbers started coming down, I was finally able take it at home without dread. And now I'm watching that it doesn't go too far in the "right" direction. A nicer problem. 

Only one week ago today I was released from the hospital, barely able to walk and looking and smelling like a pile of beach wrack! Yesterday I made 6,000 steps. Onward we go. 

Have a wonderful weekend.  

Cute alert

 

 

Millie? Can we be friends?

 

Learning from Nica, the fine art of being underfoot in the kitchen...

 And getting loved to death...

And the art of total relaxation comes naturally to this breed...

Hey, maybe I wouldn't need pills with a little lap dog? 

 

It's been a quiet week on the home front. Our excellent, hardworking gardener came yesterday to cut back an overgrown lilac and give the laurel hedge its annual trimming.  Neat as a pin. 

 

Seattle summers are warmer than they used to be, warm enough to sit in the yard after dinner without a jacket. When I turn on a sprinkler, the chickadees show up and take showers in the olive tree. Speaking of blood pressure, this sure beats the evening news. 

 

When life gives you tomatoes

 

Make some tomato sauce...

That is about a third of the Roma tomatoes we got from one potted plant. They just thrive on that hot side of the house. 

I bought a fancy food mill last fall to make pear butter and haven't used it since, so I set John to work yesterday milling that bowl of tomatoes. He enjoys kitchen tasks that involve sharp knives and mechanical gadgets. 

 It cooked up a bright pot of fresh tomato sauce, which we put on frozen cheese ravioli. 

 

It was tasty but a tad on the thin side, so some sausage or meatballs would help. I froze three containers for other pasta meals.

Speaking of the freezer, we are grateful this week that ours is packed with good food. The little bit of effort it takes to make a simple meal from scratch is so worth it. Anyway, our home cooked wholesome food is helping me get my appetite back. 

No one expects hospital food to be good, but with the exception of Cheerios, most of what they what they gave me was inedible. The meals were packed with cheap processed salty food, even though I was supposedly on a "heart healthy" diet. 

As I'm sure you know, wine has always been an enjoyable part of our lives-- a relaxing social time at the end of the day, and it makes good food taste even better. But for now I'm taking a vacation from all alcohol. This feels good actually, although life is a bit duller come 4 o'clock when John makes himself an old-fashioned. 

Well, life is also short, so put wine on the list of things to look forward to. In moderation, of course. We have a trip to the Napa Valley planned at the end of September, and I told John save your money to buy me a glass or two of expensive local wine. Quality not quantity is the new motto. My box wine days are over. 

A tempting sight

 

 

I'm impatient for the plums to finally ripen so we can preserve as many as possible. This is a rare year when the tree produces that many big ones. I want to replenish our stash of plum chutney and also can some halves for yogurt and cottage cheese. 

Understandably, with stone fruit averaging $3 a pound in the grocery store, these big beauties are a tempting target from the sidewalk. 

 

Yes, it came down to this. 

I saw a man jump up and grab some over the fence while his two little kids looked on. (Teach your children well.) Even though they look purple, they are still hard and inedible. 

I told him nicely we're happy to share excess when the time comes, but please don't pull green ones off the branches now. He looked guilty as sin and apologized profusely. I'm working on my reputation as "the mean old lady who lives on the corner."

 

The Seattle afternoons are warm and sunny, but the morning fog suddenly put a fall feel in the air. I've enjoyed our yard and birds more than ever this summer, and good thing, because we've been stuck at home since we got back from Europe in June. 

Fires are still burning in every direction across the eastern part of the state, so the smoke collects in the Methow Valley however the winds blows. Relief from that claustrophobic air pollution won't come until the fall rains finally extinguish the wildfires. 

My friend Karen said everyone who can get away leaves the Valley as much as possible this summer. On top of that, downtown Twisp is still torn up with construction as they renovate the sidewalks, streets and storefronts. Not a good time for bike riding or strolling around the peaceful shops. There's always next year. 

Puppy and pear

 

 

And a pretty girl in the orchard with "Yoko." 

They love her like crazy and she fits right into the farm life. But Maya said she might "never have children" because babies are too much work. So cute!

Some of my dear followers noticed that Feathers and Flowers went dark last week. Long story short, I was admitted to the hospital critical care unit for treatment of severe hypertension. 

The good news is, I'm on new medicines and everything is finally headed in the right direction. I feel much better already, and gradually getting back to my normal activities. 

Best of all, extensive testing did not reveal serious underlying conditions and the cardiologist pronounced my heart healthy. I follow up with him this week. Welcome to the senior years. 

I will spare you a long rehash here, but just want to say that John was wonderful support through the whole ordeal. Although by the third day, he was ready to take over management of that hospital. Pack your patience if you ever have to be there. 

"The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love." 

Thank you, everyone. 

 

And the cat came back

 

A newly discovered design, carved in the earth in southwestern Amazon, sometime  between 600 BC and 850 AD. Yes, that's a cat, with a ton of personality, lounging around as cats often do.

And this blogger is back also...

Have a good weekend. Enjoy these precious, waning summer days. 

 

If dogs could talk

Nica: Maybe it will go away soon.

Puppy: Hey, it looks pretty cool around here!

 Amanda and "Cowboy" 

And in other news, Happy Birthday to our Amanda today. 

The house has changed and so have we, but I'm sitting right where this picture was taken back in 1981. How blessed we are.   

Welcome to the family

 

 

 

This weekend, our Carlton family adopted this adorable Chihuahua mix puppy. She came from a rescue home in Bellevue, and they brought her over last night before we went out to dinner. 

About 3 months old and downright adorable. Also healthy and spunky, and like all puppies, a great big project. But the girls are jumping right in with the training and spoiling. Lucky little dog. I'll wager she soon finds her niche with the other house pets in front of the Russian stove. 

Happy Birthday to our darling Nova today. This is the poem I wrote 17 years ago. It feels like yesterday.

"A Poem for Nova" 

That morning you arrived,
You were our bright summer star.
And I drove East to greet you,
Body, Mind, Spirit--
With a prayer for every mile.

Time passed. Road and silence.
Mountains, rocks, fields,
The occasional gift of horses grazing.
And finally, clear desert light
Above the ancient river.

Then your Mother's call, at last!
Wonder and tears
Turning a roadside nowhere into Somewhere.
Oh, you thrilled us
With your big entrance: Here I Am.

So, an old story but still a fresh miracle.
And I arrived at a new place, too.
A little hand to hold,
Precious life to cherish,
The circle complete. 

 

 

A fine line

 

I bought this book for inspiration, but it had the opposite demotivating effect when I realized she "paints" with single strand floss. 

If you know anything about embroidery, then you know that is indeed tedious and finicky. I'll stick with two-strand work and simple Aunt Martha iron on patterns.

That good old Aunt Martha brand, sold by family owned Colonial Patterns, has been around since the 1930's. I remember when these cost a quarter at the five and dime store. Now Amazon will throw one on the porch for about $6. 

Most are quick and easy, fun and relaxing, nostalgic or silly. I'm not aspiring to become an embroidery artist at this stage of the game. 

 

The plum tree is groaning with fruit (isn't that a great expression?) and a few hot days away from ripe. Hopefully can do some canning soon. Since they are visible from the sidewalk, I actually worry about people coming in the yard and stealing when we're not around.  Yes, that kind of neighborhood now.  

Blue sky and fresh air back this morning, although the smoke pollution on the east side of the state stays relentless. Our Carlton family is coming over for the weekend for a quick escape. They won't be staying here this time, but we hope to see them Sunday afternoon.

Have a good weekend.  

The pleasure of open windows

 

But not today. We've had the windows closed and both air purifiers running. Not so pleasant with temps in the 80's and no AC in the house. 

John does have a method (when I'm gone) for keeping the house cool, which involves keeping most of the upstairs blinds shut. It's depressing enough being stuck inside without stumbling around in the dark. 

We have seen much worse smoke, but my ukulele group still cancelled the Thursday outdoor meeting. I could have used some fun diversion, but cancelling was probably a good idea, since most of us are in that "sensitive" group (aka old.) You really shouldn't be singing at the top of your lungs in this air. 

Still Seattle has nothing to complain about, compared to eastern Washington where the air is absolutely horrible from the many uncontrolled fires. 

When people visit from other parts of the country, they are surprised how we can leave unscreened windows hanging wide open the summer. Insects have never been much of a problem. But who knows what climate change has up its sleeve next.  

They say tomorrow will be a better day.  

 

The cows come home

 

A blog post without photos? Who wants to read through my rambling text without even a pretty picture? What was once so easy (above) on my laptop now takes a complicated work around process. That only works sometimes. 

Anyway, delving deeper into this photo uploading problem on Google Blogger revealed a giant hodgepodge of a password mess (according to my tech support person.) This is what happens when you allow things to just evolve "organically" letting technology make decisions without any master plan. Things work fine-- until they don't. 

But as Albert Einstein said, "In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."