homage

I have been the recipient of some lovely gifts lately. Here's a sampling of just some of the darling things my friends near and far have spoiled me with:

An adorable necklace made by Emily (above), and the sweetest little book ever from Cass (below).

And Cass also got me this magnet at Saturday Market:

I've also been gifted in the past few days with ginkgo tea, sugared citrus soap, and honey from friends. Plus, chocolate, zinnias, and cards from students. It's teacher appreciation week, so say hello and thank you to a teacher who made a difference.

Thank you, all!

love arrows

After a weekend of meeting amazing new people and savoring the salty sea air, May came in wearing dismal thunder clouds and cold, cold air, literally and figuratively. I feel the cold bite of the critic rearing her ugly head, mocking me. My mood swings from anti-social tendencies to feelings of loneliness. I feel crowded in by too many project and anxious by the high demands I seem to place on myself. Perhaps this stems from the insecurity May represents. On the 17th, I say goodbye to my beloved current job (my favorite job ever) of teaching American lit. and creative writing, and with a blue heart, say goodbye to my creative, smart, frustrating, awesome, funny, creative, sassy, challenging, sweet, entitled, demanding, cool, stylish (and so forth) students. I then return to the world of shlubbing ("shlepping" combined with "subbing").

But this post isn't meant to be a self-indulgent poor-me pity party. Instead, it's a resolve: I'm going to fight the blues by giving the love away! I have 20 targets for my love arrows and the list keeps growing. Time to get to creating and giving, rather than sulking and moping.

Anyone want to join me? We can make May our "love arrow" month for those people in our life that we love and hold dear. We can give candy, homemade cards, compliments, or whatever else strikes our imagination. I'm starting today. Let the journey begin.

Happy belated May Day! A celebration of the end of the cold half of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, a celebration of Flora and Walpurgis Night. Here in Portland, the last average frost date is considered by some to be April 15 and by others to be May 1, so it's officially the beginning of the planting season.

This weekend, we celebrated with music, dancing, fire, and walks on the beach. We gifted each other with Samurai names, and I am Kiyoshi Yumi (Quiet Beauty), Yukio (Happy Hero), Kuhana (Little Flower), and Rai (very trustworthy and dependable).

Zen weekending

I'm going to the beach this weekend armed with blankets, beats/bass, books on bees, brioche, boyfriend, beautiful people, brauts, boil*, yurts, journals, camera, wine...Bring it, Nehalem!

*Boil is apparently some sort of delicious stew that a fellow beach-comber is concocting.

Meanwhile, here are some bits for a lovely, creative, relaxing weekend.
Anju Mulder's photography (that's one of her photos above), especially her "Illustrations and typography," has me swooning.

Vanessa Paxton's flickr stream has me mesmerized. Check out her photos here. 

Erotographomania: a mania for writing love letters

Here's another student poem:

I'm the time between day and night at the end of fall
and the beginning of a long gray winter season

I'm a spore floating on the spring wind
spreading new life to wherever I drift

I'm just there, no greater goal; no purpose
I'm just there

waxing moon, raindrops fat

This weekend, in addition to a 13 mile hike along Eagle Creek through the Columbia River Gorge, I flurried with restless, creative, April energy that included a trip to Portland Nursery, a curtain cutting session with my girl Kara, cleaning the chicken coop, composting, scattering seeds

(I just couldn't help myself. I had to get the fairy's meadow!), decorating flower pots, and creating fabulous tomato plant holders out of unused two gallon water containers (See the spout on the bottom right?) into hanging tomato planters. I have to say that this may be one of the best ideas I've had.

The container is large enough for a tomato plant. Plus, I can plant two different plants on either side of the top. Above has basil seeds, and below, I planted marigold and nasturtium seeds. I also threaded the twine into the handle of the container, so I believe it will hold when the tomato plant is full grown and fruiting.

(The vine with the purple plant to the right is a Japanese wisteria; I'm in love with it.)

Yesterday, I planted 12 tomato plants in the beds seen above: orange smudge purple flesh, brandywine, and Oregon spring during a waxing moon and rain, the ideal planting time according to lore. The bushy plants on the left are salmon berries and in the back left is the pea trellis that Brian made out of bamboo.

 Above, my seedlings await planting or gifting. In addition to my salmon berries, my strawberries (transplanted from 18th St) are blooming: I never realized how lacy the petals are until I went to snap this picture.















 

 Here's what the ladies and drones are up to. It's mind blowing to think that they've done all this and more since April 6. If anyone out there sees anything in this photo that a novice like me might not notice and need to worry about, please let me know. I think they're looking pretty good. That third from last comb is being built between two bars, so that's going to need to be moved.

 The rain cleared up earlier this evening. I worked late, and tonight, I'm going to read, sew, eat ice cream, watch tv, chill with kitties, and dream about the artist who built these shelves.