8.31.2012

Home in All Seasons and other stories

A year ago today, we got the keys to our little house. Back then, it looked like this:


As of early this morning (hence the shade), it looks like this:


Why, yes, I have been having fun with it. :)

It's a great home—for me and Lou, for Maia, for a Great Pumpkin vine:


For a new set of basil seedlings, which have valiantly survived getting overturned twice:


For a set of tomato vines, which I am desperately trying to carry just a little longer through the standard Western Washington case of early blight:

Race against time: tomato crop
...versus the blight
...but there's hope!
And for a lot of other garden inhabitants, including a plethora of buttercups and the occasional squirrel. It also plays spring housing for a pair of finches, hostel to a couple of Steller's jays, and neighbor to a number of other small birds.

We've seen it in all its seasons, now, and I am satisfied. It's my Silver Bush, my Pemberley, my Burrow, and I'm grateful for it every day.

* * *

One busy morning this week, I pulled a load of towels from the dryer, dropped it on the bed, and went in for a shower. Twenty minutes later, I returned and began folding. It took me a few moments and a couple of washcloth-foldings to notice this:


* * *

Writers' link of the week: Since Monday's post was on rest, here's Hilary Smith's "dark house, empty bowl: on leaving the world for a novel (and making it back alive)". A good reminder that we can't live entirely in the writing mania, and that the soul needs the care and feeding of normal life between times.

* * *

Music of the week: I discovered Kokia a few weeks ago while looking for arrangements of Ave Maria (and her voice on the Caccini is quite stunning). Turns out, she's done everything from background music for anime to pop Christian music. In other news, I'm sometimes rather sorry that with all the languages I've dabbled in for days and weeks at a time, I never tried Japanese.



* * *

Random amusement of the week: What kind of book reader are you? I couldn't choose between three; I'm a Chronological, Cross-Under Bookophile. Those of you who have never read Anne of Green Gables may see yourselves listed specifically under Delayed Onset Reader #1. :)

* * *

And now, after professing my love for this house, I had better go clean it. Cheers! And happy weekend.

12 comments:

  1. That looks like a very sincere pumpkin patch. May you receive a visit from the Great Pumpkin. And not the Great Old Pumpkin. :)

    Ah, happiness is a bunch of warm towels straight from the laundry. You can't buy contentment like that!

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  2. Looks like there might be a cat under there somewhere!

    And I agree with George. Do you have Halloween plans yet?

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  3. I love the love you have for your house-turned-home. All that's left now is for you and Lou to name it ;) We also celebrated one year in our home recently--cheers to both of our "little bits of earth"!

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  4. George, HAHA. Thanks. :) And I think you're right about the laundry.

    David, not yet! It was a total bust for trick-or-treaters last year; we got just one. I'm tempted to leave the lights off and just celebrate quietly ourselves. :)

    Donna, here's to the bits of earth! And I'm all in favor of naming ours; the right one just has to hit. :)

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    1. And do you have plans, David? I'm totally open to the possibility of inspiration. :)

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  5. I won't ask who dug up the basil seedlings twice. (MAIA.) Love the pictures of your House of Happiness! It's so cheery. In fact, this blog is often where I come when I need a bit of cheer.

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    1. Haha... actually, for once Maia cannot be blamed. (Notice I didn't call her innocent.) I have these hanging in a window by a string contraption I made myself, and Lou keeps opening the window broadly without looking up. Result: basil pot upside down on the floor, over four feet below. We nearly didn't find one last time.

      It makes me happy that you find my blog a cheery place... that's the goal. :)

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  6. Hmmm, what kind of a book reader am I? Well, first, I'd like to say I have started Anne of Green Gables. :)

    But that plays into one of my main book reader traits. I'm a multi-tasker, always reading several books at once. I usually flit between books, making incremental gains in each until I reach about 65 to 75% completion in a book, then I read that book till the end. Usually...

    I'm also a cross-under reader. Although I've never felt the embarrassment they seem to feel is attached to it.

    I'm also an Audiobook listener. Lots of time in the car & all. I'll often listen and read the same book back & forth.

    I'm also The All-the-Timer/Compulsive/Voracious/Anything Goes Reader. I've always got a book. Back in the olden days it was a paperback or hardback, nowadays I've either got my smartphone, Kindle, or Kindle Fire with me. Or all three. But I only read on my smartphone as a last resort. Too hard on my getting older eyes.

    And I'm a re-reader. That pretty much covers it.

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    1. YAY, you started Anne!

      Officially, I am not a multi-tasking reader, but in practice... the stack beside the couch belies me. And Cross-Under Readers unite, shame-free! I love kidlit.

      Totally with you on the All-the-Timer and Re-Reader bits. :)

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  7. It's lovely, Jenna, you've done wonderfully. Have you considered adding creeping vines? But that may not lend itself to the quaint country house look and lean more toward abandoned cottage . . .

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    1. I have considered creeping vines, actually, and I like the abandoned cottage look. :D The only hesitation I have is that they tend to exert a lot of drag on a wooden house... stone is the only thing that holds up well.

      But I may get one or two eventually anyway, and just keep them carefully pruned. :)

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    2. The abandoned cottage look would go great with a crazy cat lady look. ;)

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