Thursday, July 26, 2012

Turning Point in My Summer

I've felt like my peonies have been shaking their angry tight fists at the skies for weeks.
I know I have.
Mid- July and they still hadn't bloomed.
 Rain and grey every day and none of those scorching temps that the States are having.
( oh yes, we in Alaska call those other places "Outside" or "the States"
or "the lower 48'

But wait... could it be?

and I've gotten about a half cup of strawberries from our plants now

So luscious

I may have to harvest these broccoli florets today before the moose gets them.

Things have been growing so slowly with temps that seem to be hovering between 49 and 59 F
( that's 9.5 and 15C)
So far this summer.

The flower baskets have done rather well.
It's a turning point because honey is coming home on Saturday after being gone 5 weeks and then I'm leaving for Maine for a couple of weeks on Wednesday.
I'm already kind of ramping down on making stuff and listing in my shop until I get back.

The sun has come out this week PLUS I have a visitor out here in the boonies.
And I'm shaking this whatever thing that took away my voice for 5 days and had me in scary coughing fits too.
What a change in my spirits now.
Julio's in his early 70's and shows you how it's done staying young at heart.

Here I am trying to show you how my new earrings from Pinmolly look.
I know you can't see them but somehow I like how this photo made me look younger.
must be the hazy reflection....
or the bewildered stare?

trying again...oh well...sorry about that. 
But I love them!
OK, here they are all properly photographed by Tracy

This week I started wearing glasses all the time. 
It's an adjustment and seems to magnify the long distance visual disturbances I was having but seem to be an improvement for up close work and reading.

I hauled out some old colored leather that I had bought way back when.
Sometimes you need to revisit old supplies.
and I had to try designing with my own studnik too.

I got these recycled glass bottle top rings on Etsy.
I thought they would be fun to work with.
You can see a few beads that I won on Petra's giveaway too.
I'm hoarding the extra special ones for the time being...you know how it is!
I won these lovelies with my silly douche bag joke.
I'll have to thank my ex husband for that. I think it's one of the few jokes that I ever remember.

One of my lampworked copper pieces folded over and fastened here.


I thought I'd show you what my copper matchsticks look like before I enamel them.
I was going to show them being torched but the photo came out kind of vague so I didn't.

My enamel piles

and frit piles.


So now I'm going to be on a bit of a break until mid-August.
Most likely I'll be checking in with you all from time to time and perhaps showing you a bit of Maine.
And a welcome to any of you new visitors. I hope you like what you see.

14 comments:

  1. Well Kim, have fun up there in Maine! It looks like you've been being very productive--love those colors in your new necklace. Isn't it ironic that we folks down here in the torrid south would kill for some of your cool weather?

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  2. Go peonies!! They'll be full bloom while you're away I suppose. So nice of you to plant for the moose. Glad you love your earrings and it is a very nice picture of you. Enjoy your trip!

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  3. Safe journey ....looks like exciting stuff happening there ......xx

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  4. love the earrings and the photos of you trying to capture them, 'cause you captured you instead! <3 have fun in maine. mmm. lobsta rolls!

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  5. The peony will surely bloom the day you head to Maine! You are funny trying to photo yourself, I have tried and it's a total disaster, ah well. Great earings and I love your new necklaces too! Talk whe you get back East. xox

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  6. But how wonderful that you can grow peonies at all in your climate. They are such pretty ruffled ladies. Those earrings from pipnmolly are beautiful and suit you well. :)

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  7. you make my heart smile with your photos and happiness.
    Send your rain our pleeeease!!!
    Have a great rest and trip.
    Amy

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  8. First of all, Kim, that is a cold summer you are having. Those strawberries look stunted and sweet--like the handful of berries I got from my plant in June. Second, you are a lady with flair--I can see it in the dangly earrings that kind of blur on your lovely head. That guy is 70? I don't believe it! Love your joi de vivre...!!!

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  9. Looks like your garden is doing ok despite the weather. I think you should definitely eat the broccoli before the moose gets it!! I just planted some seedlings out in a cage so the crows don't get it, but I guess a moose would just tread it down if it passed this way!

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  10. yeah down here in the lower 48, we have had the hottest summer and we are way down in rain, been doing the rain dance all summer, but the tomatoes and the peppers have been loving it!

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  11. hey kim,

    thanks for your nice words at my place...

    i wish you warm weather and sunshine in the time you have left before traveling, and then i wish you happy, warm (but not too hot) travels!! i know that i was pretty damn cold most of the time we were in oregon and washington last week. i wore my warm stuff every day and wished i had more.

    LOVE your new earrings...

    xoxo

    lynne

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  12. Lovely creations, Kim...enjoy your time in Maine!

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  13. Look at that garden! I hope the moose doesn't get it while you're away. I'd love to watch you do that enameling sometime....it looks like an amazing process. Have fun in Maine! :)

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  14. Beautiful new work Kim... I 'm just too dang tired these days to say much. Maine sounds like a pretty cool place xxx c

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