Patience

Sometimes, you just have to have faith.  I admit that I don't always have it even though I've been given many opportunities to practice patience and just wait for the universe to unfold.

When the cold weather became just cool and the green started to come back to the perennials, I wandered around the garden taking stock.   I could see that all the clematis were madly pushing out green leaves and tendrils in their rush to make up for the late start to spring.  All except my only container clematis: Guernsey Cream.  She has beautiful creamy white flowers and lives in a corner of the garden where she can shine alone.
 But, this year, there was no green.  Just a brown stem where there should be green leaves.

So, I made some plans to replace her.  I looked and looked for another Guernsey Cream but nothing.  I almost gave up but then, one day, I came across another white clematis named Henryi.  I took him home hoping that in time he would grow to be a worthy substitute.

Yesterday, this is what I saw when I went to plant Henryi out under the trees.  So tender and delicate,  the green stem carefully climbed out of the earth.  There are tiny hairs on the new leaves that make them look white.  I'm just thrilled to have her back.  But I should have known.  Such miracles have happened in the garden before. 

Now, there are two lovely white clematis in the yard with Henryi  snugly tucked in next  to Etoile Violette.  I'm looking forward to his white flowers contrasting with the masses of purple flowers.  A win-win which brings our clematis family to an even dozen.  I never tire of this plant. 

Sunday Wonders - S

S is for Stash.

I'm combining the Saturday stash report with the Sunday alphabet series.  Both were casualties of the BIG April A -Z challenge and a lazy Saturday yesterday.  Slow is another S-word.  I have lots of Show and tell for today, though. 

It seems I've become addicted to the little slipper socks for babies.  And I managed a pair of purple Mary Janes, too.  Who wouldn't want a pair of purple shoes? 

I found this gorgeous little dress idea in the latest Debbie Bliss mag.  So cute.  It's still in,progress as I haven't quite finished sewing the skirt to the bodice and it needs a bit of a press.   I did intend it for my youngest grand-daughter but she may have outgrown it without even trying it on.  I'm waiting for some current measurements.  If it's too small, it will go in the donation box and I can try another size.  Right?  There's always more fabric in that particular Stash, too.

Remember the Year of the Dragon cardi?  It was quickly becoming the 'Drag On' cardi.  It was even Draggin' for a while there.  I just couldn't make up my mind what to do to finish the front.  Buttons were supposed to fit through the pattern stitches down the front.  There are holes - no actual buttonholes - but they were smaller than I liked - the buttons would have been really insignificant.  So, I opted for a zipper and I just happened to have exactly the right length in my Stash.  Is that not meant to be?

And, currently on the needles...another Debbie Bliss design.  This is going to be my Fancy-pants Summer Cardi.  It's going so quickly and I love the yarn.  It was just hanging out in the Stash.  It's sort of mohair-y but not as much halo.  There are two different fibers because the light bounces off them differently giving a really interesting color effect.  I'm not sure where it even came from but I'm glad it wandered my way. 

And that's what I've been doing the last few weeks.  I'll be back with the regularly scheduled programming next weekend. 

Ironweed

Remember that talk about needing a challenge yesterday?  I actually do have an ongoing reading challenge which tends to get overlooked in the crush of more important stuff to think about and do.

I have to read from a list - of my own making - of books published in 1983.  This is all part of the Birth Year Reading Challenge.  If you want to know why 1983 - no it's not my birth year - you can go here for the reasons. 

A-anyway, I have just finished Ironweed by William Kennedy. In 1984 he won a Pulitzer Prize for this novel.  It is number three in a trilogy but I haven't read the first two.  I didn't find it necessary since most of the background is explained as the story unfolds.  Not sure I would say I enjoyed this book but it was intriguing.  And the characters grabbed me which, as you know, is the surest way to my reading heart. 

Ironweed is set in the Great Depression and tells the story of Francis Phelan's return to his home town of Albany NY.  He's been on the road for a long time, an alcoholic and a vagrant.   He works when he needs money for a drink or a flop.  His family is his pals and his memories.  He hallucinates and chats with people that he's killed in his life before he hit the road.  He was a baseball player with local fame. 

This was a slow and thoughtful read because I needed to savor the characters.  The memory of being with Francis on his journey back to his home stuck with me.  You really feel the grit under his collar, the grime of living from the back seat of a car to a flophouse to sleeping rough in a ditch.  His need for home and family and the fear of returning is palpable. 

Someone told me there was a movie made of this with Jack Nicholson.  As always, I'm glad I didn't know that when I was reading the book.  If I had been asked to cast the movie, I would have tried for Henry Fonda.  Just sayin'

I dare you!

I was thinking about how nice it was to take a blogging break after the hectic pace of the A-Z Challenge.  It was nice to let the brain cells relax but I missed everyone.  That's what happens when the party's over.  Everyone goes home and there's only popped balloons and cake crumbs left amid the tattered and limp streamers.

So, my shower thoughts this morning turned to challenges.  And then to dares.  What's the difference?  I'm always up for a challenge - always!  But I'm a little more wary of dares. 

To me a challenge is its own reward.  It must be hard enough to seem almost impossible but not totally.  For instance, if someone challenged me to a foot race, I'd probably see that as more of a dare.  I know I'd lose.  But I'm not always that clever nor are challenges always so obviously not winnable.  In fact,  having only an outside chance at winning  makes a challenge really worthy.  I really like having the competition to force me to up my game. 

But a dare is also something that is within reach - just.  It does have risk involved but perhaps the risk is more than just losing face.  The risk could be bodily injury, jail or exile from the gang.  However, beginning a challenge which is only just doable also has similar risks.  Climbing Everest is certainly risking injury. The jail result could be from any number of illegal - and stupid - stunts that we humans do.  And exile?  Well, if I challenge myself to do something and I fail, then I may exile myself from the challenge group.  But a dare seems to have more dire and lasting consequences.  Or, does it? 

OK...that's enough mental meandering.  I definitely think I need to find another challenge, don't you?  Anybody got one?  Go, on...I dare you!