mary mary quite contrary

so here's the front yard garden: onions, lavender, tomatoes, bell peppers, zinnias, and cucumbers. i've planted marigolds between all of the bricks. it looks so dusty and barren; the bright hot sunlight in the pictures seems to suck all of the lushness out of the scene. i guess thats what i get for only using the camera on my phone for all of these photographs.


the leaves are getting bigger and i think the plants are okay. there are a few brown spots on the leaves already though.

the back garden has the corn, more squash, and hot peppers. when it was planted, the corn was no taller than my coffee cup.

its a beautiful clear day today and just 70 degrees. everything outside is glowing green and golden from the sun. the wisteria is finally gone and the thin petals fallen from the vines blanket our sidewalk, yard, and cars. it flutters down like a snow of greyish purple mulch and its impossible to win against, so i'm letting it gently cover and protect the centimeter-tall cilantro. the trees are now thick and green and loud with leaves and when the wind blows the oak sounds like waves at the ocean.

sew day

i've had this stretchy gray fabric with black vines and red flowers on it for years. last tuesday i pulled out my sewing machine and set myself up to the task of finally using it. i was wearing this comfortable plain teal dress and decided to try to make something like it. there wasn't much fabric - maybe 2 yards - so there wasn't much to play with. i did it hastily, but its not so bad. i did manage to raise and gather the neckline like i needed. and of course, keller helped.

cuatro momentos

patience

the seedlings have finally started developing grown-up leaves. these are leaves that, unlike the rounded baby leaves that first sprout from the ground, actually look like miniature versions of the eventual grown plant. i get excited when they develop because not only does it reassure me that the plant is healthy enough to keep growing, it also reassures me that the tiny seedling i've been nurturing is indeed the plant i want. until the grown-up leaves, i could easily be gently mothering any old weed. tiny cilantro leaves! and tiny squash leaves! oh, and it doesnt hurt that i love tiny things.

and if'n it dont rain

i made a watering can because the ones at the store were too plastic and tacky to spend money on. i have my own plastic and tacky stuff for free. so now i can stand on the porch and slide my giant watering can along the railing while it rains on the corn below.

if with only tent

it is so cruel that the weather ever has to be anything other than what its like right now.

lickimal

keller led me around the yard for a while. his favorite part of being outside is flopping and rolling over and over and over on the sidewalk. he's covered in dirt and pollen now. all of his white parts are tan and all of his black parts are yellow. good cat.