Solstice weekend
I'm having a very good weekend.
On Friday, I brought home a new table from an antiques shop down the block from my office. I had to ask Anne at the shop to see if she could take it apart so it would fit into my car for the ride home. Fortunately, the base separated easily. I told stormsongk that I just had to buy it. When he saw the Celtic knotwork decoration on the table, he knew why. He looked at it and said, "Heartstone," the very thing I had been thinking. Our family's large quartz cluster (big enough that I have to use both arms when I pick it up) will fit perfectly in the middle.
On Saturday, I traipsed off to the garden center in search of plants for the garden at work. I came home with deep pink daylilies, some coreopsis, and a hyssop plant.
While I was in town picking up a few last things for supper, the electricity blinked out. At the same time, the air raid siren went off. I asked the cashier what was going on. She answered, "Tornado warning." When I got out to my car, I noticed thunderheads building to the north and the south. We kept an eye on them, but didn't see any dangerous-looking clouds. (This is not tornado country. In my 39 years, I've only ever seen one tornado in person. It was graceful, silent, and silvery-grey against a dark sky.)
I also stopped by the river to see what was going on. Lots of pretty clouds (and the blue heron flew by). On the way back home, I spotted a pair of strange dark birds in a field. I stopped to observe and to take pictures. I also photographed the first Black Eyed Susans blooming. It never quite feels like summer until they start flowering. :)
When I got home, I confirmed that the birds are Glossy Ibis and that they spend their summers here. Yay!
In the evening, enemyfrigatecame over for the usual weekend geekery. Since she has been writing and excellent series of X-Men fan fiction stories, I decided to combine the feasting and fandom. In honour of her 15,000-word Gambit story, I made jambalaya with andouille sausage. Peach and blackberry cobblers were dessert. (As enemyfrigatewrote in her journal, "The cobbler was a reference to an incident in the comics where Rogue baked Gambit a boysenberry pie, which he charged and threw at Bishop - only to hit Rogue in the face instead.") It was delicious and I'm very much looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
After supper, we watched Labyrinth, geeking out over David Bowie and all the pretty clothes.
I spent midday today mowing the yard. It takes quite a while.
Later this afternoon, Stormy and I will be heading to our clan-siblings Star and Dawn's new house for a house-cleansing.
In the garden, the crinums are blooming. And my white daylily has raised its first flowers skyward.
Solstice greetings to all.
Blesséd Be.
On Friday, I brought home a new table from an antiques shop down the block from my office. I had to ask Anne at the shop to see if she could take it apart so it would fit into my car for the ride home. Fortunately, the base separated easily. I told stormsongk that I just had to buy it. When he saw the Celtic knotwork decoration on the table, he knew why. He looked at it and said, "Heartstone," the very thing I had been thinking. Our family's large quartz cluster (big enough that I have to use both arms when I pick it up) will fit perfectly in the middle.
On Saturday, I traipsed off to the garden center in search of plants for the garden at work. I came home with deep pink daylilies, some coreopsis, and a hyssop plant.
While I was in town picking up a few last things for supper, the electricity blinked out. At the same time, the air raid siren went off. I asked the cashier what was going on. She answered, "Tornado warning." When I got out to my car, I noticed thunderheads building to the north and the south. We kept an eye on them, but didn't see any dangerous-looking clouds. (This is not tornado country. In my 39 years, I've only ever seen one tornado in person. It was graceful, silent, and silvery-grey against a dark sky.)
I also stopped by the river to see what was going on. Lots of pretty clouds (and the blue heron flew by). On the way back home, I spotted a pair of strange dark birds in a field. I stopped to observe and to take pictures. I also photographed the first Black Eyed Susans blooming. It never quite feels like summer until they start flowering. :)
When I got home, I confirmed that the birds are Glossy Ibis and that they spend their summers here. Yay!
In the evening, enemyfrigatecame over for the usual weekend geekery. Since she has been writing and excellent series of X-Men fan fiction stories, I decided to combine the feasting and fandom. In honour of her 15,000-word Gambit story, I made jambalaya with andouille sausage. Peach and blackberry cobblers were dessert. (As enemyfrigatewrote in her journal, "The cobbler was a reference to an incident in the comics where Rogue baked Gambit a boysenberry pie, which he charged and threw at Bishop - only to hit Rogue in the face instead.") It was delicious and I'm very much looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
After supper, we watched Labyrinth, geeking out over David Bowie and all the pretty clothes.
I spent midday today mowing the yard. It takes quite a while.
Later this afternoon, Stormy and I will be heading to our clan-siblings Star and Dawn's new house for a house-cleansing.
In the garden, the crinums are blooming. And my white daylily has raised its first flowers skyward.
Solstice greetings to all.
Blesséd Be.