Blog Toy

Go here to play!

And thanks to this blog for sharing such a fun toy.

Bowdoinham Library's Annual Plant Sale 2007

This past Saturday was the annual plant sale at the Bowdoinham Library. Last year was the first time I'd ever been. Once again, it was crazy, busy and just fantastic! This year my sister came with my mother and I. I brought my camera and was all set to take pictures, but it was such a madhouse of people searching, inspecting, reading about all the plants that I forgot I had it. I was swept up in the excitement. I spent $8 less than last year, but look what I got...

A Contorted Willow (I'm calling it my twisty willow)
A deep cranberry Hollyhock to go with my pinky/white ones
A Flowering Crabapple (the only thing I really wanted to come away from the plant sale with)
Honeysuckle
White Bee Balm

I was so happy with all my purchases and just had to share with all of you (my mother and my sister were so happy, they bought so much stuff)!

Now I need to go to bed...I'm heading to New Hampshire tomorrow with my boss for a meeting with the Senate Presidents and Speakers of the House from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. I leave you with a picture of my computer buddy. Anytime I try to work on the computer at home, she is either in my lap or sitting in front of the monitor giving me this look; it's the "Pay attention to me...right now...or else" look.

Until Tuesday!

Blogiversary

Happy Blogiversary, dear Musings From Mt. Vernon Street.

1 year ago today, you came into being.

You’ve documented my gardening, my quilt projects, my foray into Capri making and drawing.

You’ve witnessed destruction and rebirth, seasonal changes in Maine and many, many blatant promotions of doggie and kitty cuteness.

There have been ups and downs and everything in-between…and through it all, you’ve been there.

So raise a glass, one and all, in honor of Musings From Mt. Vernon Street.

To another year and to all that it may bring!

Cheers!

The real Mt. Vernon Street (and Sadie)

Traveling to Sri Lanka...by way of Maine

Every 6 to 8 weeks, my office exhibits new artwork, anything from paintings to photography to fabric art and paper art…and normally from artists who live in my boss’ district (I’ve photographed one of the exhibits before).

This time around, we’re surrounded by the photographs of John Beebe from Freeport, Maine.

His work is amazing! He spent a year long sabbatical in Sri Lanka and came away with the most fantastic of images. I wish I could take pictures of his photographs to show you, but they just don’t come out right (too much glare from the lights and window).

This one is my favorite. I want to transform her into an art quilt! She looks so knowing, like she has seen so much in her life.

Unfortunately, my other favorite is not on his website. I'd try to explain it, but just wouldn't do it justice - you really have to see it!

Check out his site - it's well worth your time to take the travel to Sri Lanka. Enjoy!

Twilight

Warm air

Cool, gentle breeze

The scent of flowers just beginning to bloom

The sound of mourning doves cooing, crows calling off in the distance and the first sprinkler of the season making its “Chuh, Chuh, Chuh” sound as it rains down on a neighboring lawn

A soft quiet evening, just me and Sadie, roaming in the gloaming

Enjoy the weekend

The Forgetting Room by Nick Bantock

I just finished a fabulous book and had to share...

Book Description (from the inside cover)
When his grandfather dies, Armon inherits the family home in Ronda, Spain, and finds himself trying to unravel the surreal conundrum his grandfather has left for him. Armon begins to remember his childhood art lessons, and gradually, as his grandfather's studio takes hold of him, he finds himself pulled, day by day, toward a most extraordinary elliptic link with his past.

Binding art and text in a narrative marriage, Nick Bantock takes us to the Forgetting Room, where he teases us through a tale of discovery, revenge, alchemy, and Moorish legend.

The Forgetting Room has been described as “equal parts diary, novel, artistic work-in-progress and surrealist game” and I have to agree. It's an artistic adventure into the mind of the main character. It's mentally visually stunning, if that makes sense. As you read, you become Armon; you see what he sees, you feel what he feels and the urge to paint, to collage, to create is overwhelming.

It can be a little disjointed at times, but if you can overlook that - it's magical.

It's funny too (huh-funny, not ha-ha funny), that I would happen upon this book now. I've really been getting interested in collage art. I mean, I've done collage before, but it wasn't really my thing. Lately, I've been drawn more and more to it. And then to find this book on my bookshelf...well, I knew it was on the shelf. I'd looked at it a million times, but I never picked it up to read it. You see, it belonged to my ex and must have been thrown into my box of books when I moved out 5 years ago. When I started unpacking my books last fall, I put it on the shelf, thinking that maybe someday I'd read it. But I just couldn't bring myself to read it...it was Pete's...and everything that once belonged to Pete held too many memories for far too long.

But broke down and finally read it. And I loved it! I highly recommend it.

Composty Goodness

Is it weird that I’m totally psyched for free compost?

The local landfill collects leaves, branches and yard waste all year long, and then each spring gives away the compost and wood chips created from them for free. You’re allowed two truck loads while they have it, all you have to do is drive in and they will fill the bed with their bucket loader. How cool is that?

Since I had to work today (and tonight), my mother went to the landfill for me, filled my Dad's truck and my brother is going to unload it tonight on my back hill near where the raised beds are going (I’m so glad I didn’t get the raised beds in this past weekend - hooray for procrastination!).

So I've been talking about reclaiming my backyard since last summer. Want to see what I have to work with? Please keep in mind that my Dad is the über-packrat and I have inherited much of his junk since he and my mother moved to a smaller house:

Old compost pile, leaf pile and a wooden "thing" of my Dad's

(no clue what purpose it ever served)

Behind my shed = my new fencing, 2 metal oil drums, my ladder and a ton of old rotting wood that my Dad thought he'd one day use

My back hill ~ as of Saturday morning, this was covered in leaves, downed branches, boards, pipes, scrap metal and plastic gutters (look how clean it is now. The arching branches belong to the lilac bush that is older than I am)

The old fence that needs to come down, a ton of bricks and cement blocks (all the pipe, plastic gutters and scrap metal is still sitting here waiting to find a home - preferrably in someone else's yard!)

The dregs of my wood pile, the old wood splitter that needs to go, along with the cable coil that Dad will never use

So this is my backyard ~ it's scary and very hillbilly-ish. I wasn't going to show anyone pictures of this, but I want to document the before and afters. If it wasn't for my brother's help and motivation, the three truck loads of brush, leaves and branches that we got rid of this past weekend wouldn't have been removed.

There is still a lot to do, but its a good start! And every time I walk out back I get giddy; the vision I hold in my mind of how I want it to look is getting clearer and clearer

I leave you with images of my sweet Sadie enjoying the warmth of the late afternoon sun (the top left is my fav). Enjoy your evening!

Lazy Friday

::~Friday~::

Listening to: Feist - The Reminder (totally rocks)

Feeling: antsy, wanting to be outside in the last rays of the sun

Thinkin' about: flowers...not all the work I need to do to get my backyard up to snuff, but the outcome - how my backyard will look when it's clean and planted and fenced *sigh*

Eatin' (well ate, as lunch is long done): a grilled rueben on rye with seasoned french fries from Hattie's.

Lovin':Taking time to actually leave work and drive to a restaurant to have a leisurely lunch with my friend (and former co-worker) Elizabeth, whom I haven't seen in a year

Wantin': a relaxing night with Melissa and Susie and their girls, by a roaring outdoor fire, roasting marshmallows (because today has just been crazy and it's still not over - I want to yell at the people in my boss' office, "It's 5:00 and it's Friday. GO HOME! Because I want to go home!")

Plannin': tomorrow morning's "Breakfast Bitch Session" - where the secretaries for the presiding officers of the legislature get together to vent (very therapeutic), buying dirt for my raised bed veggie garden, clearing the branch debris from the backyard

Wavin' goodbye now ~ Happy Friday!

Here Comes the Sun

Oh brilliant orb within the sky,
My soul and breath to thee do fly.
Thou art the refuge of my speech,
Attainable, within my reach.
Thou art the slayer of my foes,
The vanquisher of all my woes,
Thy light illumines all my sin,
A fortress do I find within.
All illness and disease do fly,
When upon thee I rely.
All weakness and fatigue are gone,
When I discern the brilliant sun.

ODE TO THE SUN
By H.H. Sri Swami Rama

Last night on PBS, NOVA had this great segment on solar energy called, “Saved by the Sun”. It was very well done and I found it thought provoking. It showed how much and how little progress the US has made since the Carter era in its steps toward using alternative sources of energy. Also they visited the Solar Mecca that is modern-day Germany and spoke to its giant steps in harnessing the sun’s power though incredible incentives for its citizens. Germany is now on its way to producing 30 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020 (its goal was only 20 or 25%). Here in the U.S., we only get 1 percent of our energy from solar and wind power.

Alternative energy is one of the great conversations being had here in Maine (as it is in many, many other states and countries) and one that I have to track in relation to my job. Our Governor is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and by promoting Efficiency Maine programs. It made me proud that my state is taking these steps, but it (coupled with Louise’s many green posts) made me really look at my home and think, “What more can I do?” Currently, I’m trying to insulate my whole house, replace old windows with more efficient ones and have changed out my light bulbs with energy saver bulbs. I watch my water consumption, my electricity usage and have become very aware of how much I drive my truck (and not just because of gas prices). I’m trying to grow my own veggies, collect rain water for garden watering (so I use less from the hose), I’m adamant in my composting and weird as it may sound, every day when I change out my pets water, I collect the excess to water my indoor plants…and eventually for the outdoor plants.

Ideally, I would love to go fully green - set up a solar thermal hot water system (These systems are of the most energy efficient when dealing with hot water heaters), solar panels, create a solarium for fresh fruits and veggies year round…so many things I want to do. So much $$$$ is needed to do this, but I am hopeful!

If this NOVA gets rerun and if you get the chance, I highly recommend you watch it! It made me want to get up right then and there, go outside and get to work on my garden! Do something good for the planet. Buuuuuuut it was 9:00 at night and I was tired and I had to work today and and and…there is always this weekend :^)

Oh, before you go, check out Maine’s Solar House.

W.I.P. Part 2

More from the Pink and Green Quilt

The center medallion (there will be a circular band of pink fabric around this)

The yo-yo blossoms

The tree trunk up-close Have a fun-filled weekend, all!

W.I.P.

The Pink and Green Quilt

(finally remembered to off-load my camera)

The Plan

The Blocks

The First 6 RowsFull Length
I still have 8 rows left, all but one have been started and because I ran out of some fabrics quickly, the plan was revamped so many times that I don't remember what the original actually looked like.

The center will hold a green flannel medallion with a yo-yo blossom tree (I made somewhere between 80 and 100 little pink yo-yo flowers by hand and then handstitched them onto the tree. I still have to take a picture of it).

The finished product should be around 92" x 110", which will be HUGE on my queen sized bed, but I love a drapey quilt!

This weekend is supposed to be rainy, which is perfect for quilting (and for making raised garden bed frames in the garage). I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the Pink and Green Quilt top will be done by Monday!

(I think I need to give it a better name than "The Pink and Green Quilt")

With the sickness done, the fun's just begun

Whoo hoo! I'm feeling so much better, I'm practically doing the happy happy dance of joy! Marcia gave me her sinus infection and it flattened me for a week, despite the antibiotics and the ton of sleep. Thankfully last week was a vacation week for the Legislators, so work was totally quiet and I didn't have to worry leaving Marcia here alone while I took sick time. Thank you for the well-wishes! They were much appreciated and much needed. My sick time out of work wasn't all for not...I got a good jump start on my pink and green quilt. I have pictures, but forgot my camera today, so I will post those tomorrow!

This weekend was fabulous! I didn't do a ton of things but the weather was perfect and I did go to Boston for the Loreena McKennitt concert at the Wang Center. Oh, but it was fabulous! I wish I had brought my camera - that theatre was opulent and awe inspiring; here are some pictures that others have taken of the theatre on Flickr.

The stage was set up so simply. There were drapes hung ceiling to floor with winding/entwining patterns in the fabric, they were lit in blue and Moroccan lamps hung in four places from the ceiling, with flicker lights (making them look like candle flames). A golden arch with another lamp hanging from it was placed behind the drummer, in the center where the drapes parted, giving that feeling of a gypsy caravan tent, like the one on the cover of An Ancient Muse. The concert started with the flame-haired Loreena, dressed in dark browns, sitting alone at her harp, singing a haunting rendition of "She Moved Through the Fair".

We gave her 3 standing ovations and she played 2 encores! Oh, she was magnificent - the whole group of musicians playing with her were fabulous (my friends and I want Caroline Lavelle's, the cellist, hair)! And you could tell that they really enjoyed themselves. I love it when you see someone live and they're having fun - you can really feel it in their music! There is a really great review of her London concert from earlier this month here.

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend and I can't wait to catch up with the blog-stories of your lives that I missed out on last week.

sickos

Oh, the spring cold has reared it's ugly head.

My office-mate, Marcia, is suffering from a sinus infection, bronchitis and now oral thrush. Poor woman! We're calling her Typhoid Marcia since she has spread her germs to the rest of the office.

There's a whole lot of yuckybadness going on here. I've been in a fog all day and I feel like I have water up my nose - not a good sign - so I'm focusing on flickr-y happygoodness:

Lovely, spring flowers

crazy, amazing, funky trees

dreaming of sunsets

and the ocean

Enjoy!

Spring snow, while the garden grows

Off and on snow showers all day

Crocus flowers topped with snow (daffodils behind it)
1 week 3 days and so much has popped!
There are little bits of green thyme and basil coming through!
I ♥ spring!