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Tag: spring (Page 2 of 13)

Lingering Spring and a Touch of Summer

Oriental poppy orange, (c) The Herbangardener

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~I hope this finds you all well~

Just some photos for today.

We are busy here; isn’t that the way of the world though! The to-do list never seems to shorten does it…

I’ll post more of an update in the coming weeks but for now, enjoy this most glorious time of year with a tour through the garden… pausing to pet the Kitty of course… and maybe you’d like a few strawberries too, still warm from the morning sun, and a cold fizzy glass of homebrew kombucha? (I’ve finally upped production, brewing it by the 3-gallon-full these days and I’m thinking of going to 4!)

Greetings from a wet, chilly Colorado night,

~Lindsey

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(c) The Herbangardener

Purple lily of the valley, (c) The Herbangardener

Mousing, (c) The Herbangardener

(c) The Herbangardener

(c) The Herbangardener

(c) The Herbangardener

(c) The Herbangardener

(c) The Herbangardener

(c) The Herbangardener

(c) The Herbangardener

Spring vegetable garden, (c) The Herbangardener

Homegrown strawberry,, (c) The Herbangardener

Spring vegetable garden (c) The Herbangardener

Oakleaf heirloom lettuce, (c) The Herbangardener

Cat feet (c) The Herbangardener

Star of Persia, (c) The Herbangardener

Maple leaf, (c) The Herbangardener

Fern, (c) The Herbangardener

Celebration Song iris, (c) The Herbangardener

Homebrew kombucha, (c) The Herbangardener

Kombucha day, (c) The Herbangardener

Green lawn, (c) The Herbangardener

Johnny Jump Ups, (c) The Herbangardener

Garden strawberries, (c) The Herbangardener

Seedlings, (c) The Herbangardener

Walls o water, (c) The Herbangardener

Tomato plant (c) The Herbangardener

Oakleaf heirloom lettuce, (c) The Herbangardener

(c) The Herbangardener

Yarrow (c) The Herbangardener

Yarrow (c) The Herbangardener

Orange oriental poppy, (c) The Herbangardener

(c) The Herbangardener

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Images of Springtime!

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Happy Spring to you!

Ohh this time of the year is glorious, with apple blossoms and tulips and the grass greening up by the hour. Lilacs coming soon, and some peach blossoms on the homegrown peach tree (above)!

It’s been a while since I posted, with the usual ups and downs of life intervening… a terrible cold germ that gripped our household and overstayed its welcome by weeks, more medical testing and appointments which drain my energy but are part of the deal right now, a long overdue visit to the dentist with shocking news of 7 cavities — then a couple appointments to get them filled, along with a definite improvement in my condition thanks to the fabulous antibiotic, and then a bit of a relapse with my lungs certainly improved (ohhhh what sweet relief!!!), but still with a ways to go, with the underlying issue persisting. A recent sinus CT scan showed sinusitis in several areas which has likely been there for the past 3 years, improved by — but persisting through — multiple rounds of antibiotics, and largely ignored by me (as were the cavities) because of so much other crap going on in my body. It’s possible that my sinuses have been seeding my lungs continuously with infection, but it’s not clear yet.

And so it goes. But of course amidst the churning and distress and medical decision making that goes with being sick, there is beauty and sweetness all around, and having My People around me (or thru phone/email/video skype) is highly sustaining. Good things have happened too — I won tickets to the theater to see our children’s chorale sing, which turned into the most wonderful, stress-free afternoon out with F., where we could each forget our respective life-stressors, be lifted out of Survival Mode for a few hours, and be doing something fun and not too energy intensive, simply for the Joy of it! What a concept!!!!!! It was something that we both sorely needed as life has been awfully Real lately for both of us. We got sushi after the show and came home and had a picnic outside in the pretty evening.

And this year our bird baths are overflowing with the comings and goings of robins, finches, chickadees, nuthatch type things, grackles, a mystery bird, and even a couple of blue jays one special afternoon. Birds and birdsong add such a wonderful element to life, and I’m very thankful for them personally. And I love that when I’m resting out on the grass, they feel safe enough now to come within a few feet to bathe and drink.

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So here are a number of pictures from the past couple months, as winter has wound down and spring has begun in earnest. And now, with spring is in its peak week, I am loving every second of it!

I hope this post finds you all well and enjoying your springtime (or hopefully that you will be soon, if winter is still hanging on in your neck of the woods)!

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The Everyday

How are you all? I feel like I’ve been in a cave — not much for correspondence lately, and just kind of lost in my own little world.

The weather around here has been cold and snowy, with a ridiculous 8° low one night — maddeningly unnecessary at this time of year. It killed our peach blossoms, and I really wish I’d picked the hyacinth flowers before that cold snap; what was I thinking?! I wait all year long for one of my favorite scents in the entire world, and then allow it to slip through my fingers. Argh! It made me really sad actually, and mad. We work so hard at not letting the big stuff get to us, that sometimes it’s the little stuff that does!

The cold snap did throw in a little precipitation as a consolation prize, so it wasn’t all bad. We really need the moisture.

It’s been quiet around here. Lots of reading and learning, working on projects, plus some good ol’ resting. Lots of resting. (Not always what this do-er wants to do, I’ll tell you!)

I finally sat down and did taxes and 3 hours into it, thought, Well no wonder I was putting this off. Sustained by Rescue Remedy, so many cups of tea that I think I set a personal record if not an Olympic one, and a few moments of “tearful release” shall we say, I did finally get them figured out and mailed off.

And you can bet there was a ceremonious tearing-up of the tax booklet into the compost. Afterwards I felt very satisfied, but awoke a few mornings later wondering if I really wanted Tax Booklet Energy in my compost pile. Coincidentally, later the same day F mentioned the torn-up booklet too, wondering if it was wise to have all that Federal Government Ink decomposing in our garden soil.

I’m gonna go fish those booklet scraps back out…

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And I wish I had taken a picture for you of the royal mess I made in the kitchen. I was making soaked almond milk in the blender when the screw-on blade base inexplicably unscrewed itself while the motor was running. I know — what the?? Before I could comprehend what was happening, five cups of watery almond goop ran all over the counter, down the cabinets, splattered onto the side of the fridge, and pooled on the floor. I’m sure that you, too, have looked a mess in the eye and thought, “I don’t want to do this.”

I threw the blender into the garbage. I had never liked it anyway.

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I also have a cactus fiber in my heel. For a weeks’ worth of days and nights it has throbbed at me and yet I run my finger obsessively over the area and find nothing — the rest of it long gone, of course.

Which just now reminds me of a quote I saw recently, “If you want to forget all your other troubles, wear too-tight shoes.”

I’m not even sure where I planning to go with this… probably nowhere good, so let me go ahead and stop here.

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What else is happening? Well everything in the garden has sprouted! Maybe it’s the skeptic in me, but every single year I plant seeds, I’m always surprised when they actually sprout. It is such a miracle.

Also…twin daffodils, squirrels, making a flower essence, before-and-sadly-after hyacinth, my happy flat of tomato and pepper seedlings, redbud branches and glory-of-the-snow flowers in the house, and cats waiting patiently for dinner.

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Kitty cabin fever

Cabin fever strikes easily at this time of the year, even for my cat — and trying to keep her from inventing trouble on indoor days can take some creativity.

Yesterday as Liz sat in my lap in front of the computer, I had an idea to search youtube for bird videos. As it turns out, there are many kind folks who have taken the time to record and post videos for cats to watch!

Liz was entranced. We watched a couple of bird videos and a fish video together. Her favorite was “Winter Birds.” And after the video session was over, she searched behind the computer screen to see where they all were.

Today was good outdoor weather, so we went out back. I rested, read in the sun, and soaked up vitamin D while Liz relaxed, hunted mice, rolled in the dirt, checked the solar oven, and helped dig soil in what will soon be the potato bed. It was a good day; no cabin fever today!

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Do your cats get cabin fever? Have they ever watched a youtube video of birds?!

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