"Golden Spirit" In The Garden

A few years ago, I helped the Shoes with planting their front yard.  The Shoe's cleared the space, installed the irrigation, planted a couple of trees, and had a brick path installed using some cool bricks from San Jose.

It was fun to start with a clean slate.  The yard faces west so it gets full afternoon sun.  It was not only important to choose sun loving plants but they also needed to be drought tolerant too.   You can see my faves are yellow, green and purple with splashes of bronze spattered about.   I love the combination of lavender, blood stonecrop, crape myrtle, Jerusalem sage and echiveria succulents. The garden is in its primo state right now.

     

Most stunning is the Golden Spirit Smoke Bush though.....every garden should have one.  It is quite spectacular all year round...puffs of "smoke" (the flower) will bloom later in the spring and then the bright yellow leaves will turn orange red in the fall.

Bottom photos:  Left is a close up of Jerusalem Sage and Right is Verbena (I think)

The garden has been mulched which will not only help with retaining moisture but also cut down on weeds.

A lot of punch is happening in this small front garden...and it makes me smile every time I visit.

My Creative Aunt Marcine

The internet has made it possible to connect with some incredible and creative people through  blogs, and Facebook.  Instagram and Pinterest has made it possible to share the results of those crafty, artistic and talented people through their photos. It is wonderful  that it has become "hip" and  "cool" to be crafty, to  sew, to cook, to create, to knit/crochet, to upcycle, to garden, to share ideas on raising children, to farm, and to photograph.  Believe it or not, being crafty hasn't always been so "in".




I have an aunt who has been creating, sewing, crocheting, cooking, serving others her entire life....eight full decades. .... let me introduce you to  (drum roll please)...

my AUNT MARCINE.

I can imagine her as a little girl planted at her mother's feet and learning all she could to soak in all the instructions her mother could deliver.  You would most likely find her hands  filled with a project...sometimes sewing, other times embroidering, and then it could be something she is crocheting.  Here she is on a picnic with my parents as young married embroidering what looks to be a tablecloth:

Love the little box by her side holding her sewing supplies.

She sewed all her clothes, even her coats.  She even sewed her own wedding dress.  Oh, doesn't she look so radiant! My uncle is looking pretty dapper himself.




She sewed clothes for her nine children (including underwear for her boys) and my uncle.
Aren't those handmade pjs adorable?

One year for Christmas, she sent my three sisters and I little clowns to put our PJ's inside.
My sister still has hers...I only wish I had mine.

When I was in college, my sister and I went to her house and she showed us how to bottle strawberry jam. And on one of my recent visits to her house, I walked in the door and found her in the kitchen finishing up bottling some peaches....she made it look so easy.  I wonder how many bottles she has filled (and "canned") over the years...I suspect it is many thousands.
She crocheted this wonderful blanket for me, using her leftover yarns from previous projects.  You see, she does not let anything go to waste.  I love to wrap up in this treasure while watching TV.

Several years ago she made fabric bags to cook potatoes in the microwave oven for each of us in my family.



And then couple of years ago for Christmas, she crocheted a eight beautiful doilies, one for each of my siblings.

Love the color of this beautiful  vase
 which was given to me from a dear friend who
 was downsizing from her large home.

If you come to her house for a meal, she will serve you her infamous "love buns".  Oh...they just melt in your mouth, especially when slathered with melted butter and homemade jam.
The best buns on the planet.  

This past Christmas, she made each of my sisters, brother and I a table runner. Each one  was made from a different fabric.  I put my runner underneath the Lazy Susan in the middle of my island.

Button detail

She is continues to serve and create things for her bazillion children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and friends .  Check out this pile of sweet Valentines she had on her sewing table recently:

I think they were headed into the hands of some 10 and ll year old girls in her church.


I don't know of a more giving or talented woman....her hands have been in constant motion her entire life.  My hat is off to you dear Aunt Marcine.