Cooking!

That's the general term for what's happening around here.  I'm finally in high gear in the studio and it translates into high gear everywhere.  And now I've got my feet up and a nice cuppa tea, savoring.

The Ruffoni has been filled up with various yummy things, here's the sink full of the bitty yellow plums and the syrup bubbling away from last week.  Man, is this stuff good, tart and sweet, over pancakes, yogurt, muffins, and a few drops in some pan drippings would make a fine meat sauce.

Here's today's pot of deliciousness, it's a variation of Giada's marinara sauce though I've turned it into more of an Arrabiata sauce for those of you who can roll your r's.  It's spicy with the addition of Ro-tel tomatoes and lots of red pepper flakes plus a mad cruise through my well stocked spice cupboard. 

I'm cookin' in the studio too, fusing a lot of fine silver earrings in the last few days.  I love to wear these, they are shiny and very eye catching, quite long but still lightweight.  These are attitude earrings, you can't help but get some when you wear them.

And, tonight I started putting together a couple of heavyweight fine silver bracelets.  These are just FUN, big, bold, heavy, substantial pieces.  The metal is 10 gauge fine silver, really hard to shape but so worth the effort.

We're looking at some rain so I soaked the yard today to guarantee that we'll get some.  As an added incentive to Mother Nature I cleaned out the fountain, emptied the dog's pool, washed my truck and dug a good rain ditch in front of my garage door.  Please...the forest is thirsty.

Pretty things in my garden, it still tickles me to have these things grow almost like weeds around here.  I scattered some lychnis seeds and have been encouraging the hollyhocks to spread some too.  The leaves on the flowering dogwoods are just starting to turn red.  The Open Studios Tour is the first two weekends in October, so they'll be putting on a show for the second weekend here.

So, back to eating bon bons now.

Peace

First Fall

I'm winding down on the first year in my cottage.

My own home,
my oasis,
my shelter,
my blissful place,
colorful,
old but new,
peaceful,
happy,
secure,
mine.

What an incredible year it has been, from stringing up the first Christmas lights to watching the leaves fall off the maple tree.

And the dogwoods, the dogwoods, sweet Goddess, the exquisite dogwoods.

I shook heavy wet snow off the branches,
feeling like a little girl dancing in the snow showers.

I marveled at the huge white blossoms,
stars of velvet outside my windows.

I tenderly watered all through the hot summer,
soaking their feet,
creating a little wetland oasis.

I sat on my rocker on the front porch,
sheltered by green,
breathing the lacy softness
into my body,
peaceful.

And now, the beginning of the long rest,
storing energy,
making dreams for the
winter's memory.

Wistful,
sad,
yearning
promises of
more
to come,
colorful fantasies,
otherworldly,
hints of
fairyland.

Peace

Magical cottage

I cannot believe how beautiful it is in my front yard.
Azaleas, rhododendrons and the flowering dogwoods are bursting.  I sit in my front porch rocker and enjoy the view and the birds singing and the cool mountain air.
But now I'm off to the Range for practice and then to the studio to work.
Life is good.