Tuesday, December 15, 2009

It's the most wonderful...




Christmas time is finally here in our home. After humming hawing for about two weeks, we decided (also because we have 2 weeks off and won't be home) to go artificial. It is my first deliberate choice to go artificial, but at least this way, we never need to worry about mold buildup, dogs or cats drinking from the water stand, vacuuming, and so on. Immediately after bringing it home I strung er up in lights and started decorating. It's hard to believe now I have several decorations from my childhood, still fully intact, as I often had a tendency as a kid to enjoy playing with "glass" toys, or taking them apart. One of which, a little plastic mailbox, is missing the "santa cat" waiting below. I loved cats as a kid, and I loved taking toys apart, even if they weren't meant to be.

I remember these other little ceramic cats, i think there were 8 of them in the set, And I'm not surprised they didn't make it to my tree, I think I broke or hid all of them. I just wasn't having them be put back after the holidays.


 View of modest tiny angel...

Having a sunroom with windows all around it and no shades to cover them, we chose that to be the place to show off a tree. This year we won't be decorating the house with lights, so the tree will have to suffice the drive-by gawkers.  Unfortunately, this year will be another year with the tiny inadequate angel, no more than 3 inches tall, with a teeny little light in her hand. I had my eye on one at work; but missed out. Hopefully she'll find her way in the returns bin this evening, or I migiht find one at the Dartmouth location. Oh please oh please!



(Our short-lived snow day)

I wrapped everything we had so far (except my Parents' giant gift, we're not sure how to do that one yet). We plan to finish up the shopping today, wrap it up, and call it a season. This year, because there is outdoor access to the basement, I can do all my wreathmaking in the basement, and just sweep the mess out. Last year everything was too sappy afterwards working in the kitchen. I think (and hope) it'll be a little less lonely this christmas eve, having more friends to visit here in our new town. We visit family christmas morning, it'll be a little bit of old and new. I like that!

In the new year, after our bills are tackled, we face the trials of finding a puppy. A valley bulldog; or any mutt, so long as it is young!

I also had to add that we had decided a month ago that this year, my bf and I would give ourselves a gift together, a nintendo Wii, but we were beat to the punch when we won it instead at our staff christmas party. I believe this may have been a Law of Attraction phenomenon, but I won't get into the details. Now we realize we have to get eachother something, and the pressure's on!

I've had a full year of knitting now. I'm currently working on a scarf as a gift, but I think it's just too bland, and I can't make the pattern I created look attractive enough to give, so I'm forfeiting this as a cursed ball of $10 yarn. Bah! Humbug. I think in the new year, I'm going to begin crocheting as well as learning to knit socks (or DPN knitting). It's gonna be a cold year. This spring I think we'll be doing a lot of insulation-related renovation.

That's all... if you have heard nothing by new year, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Grinchmas, New Year, and all that jazz!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Insect husbandry




And so begins my hobby in insect husbandry! Received my much anticipated insect ova in the mail yesterday, and boy have I been excited ever since! If the labeling isn't clear, they are Extatosoma tiaratum (giant prickly stick) and Phyllium Spp. (Philippines) (leaf insect).

And so begins a conflicted point in my life where I am contemplating a career change from retail to sciences, where this hobby conflicts. I can't say much more than that. I'm also giving a little bit of thought, after some discussion with the SO, into my aspirations of teaching people about this subject matter.

But I contemplate a lot currently, having gotten over my strange emotional divot. I am now ascending again to greatness realization. The right things pouring sloppily into the right places.

I'm expecting a few more great things in the mail, namely, the seeds for Eucalyptus.

Not much else to report. Just spending time with some friends while they still remain nearby. Soon I'll be grateful for these mountains of pastimes which will occupy my solitude! As long as I don't start drowning in winter depression. This time, between mid november and christmas, I love, but the stretch that follows is by far too brutal.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

that stretch between halloween and remembrance day..


 KaleidoscOak 1


So it's been a little while, I suppose it's time for a minor update. Halloweeen has come and gone quickly, and my hort friends get together was a giant flop, but I came out with some things that really made my week, in a good way! I got inspired to paint, and I am getting some goodies in the mail!

I went on a little quickie nature hike with a friend the other day, and when I realized I brought home two very beautiful oak leaves, I decided, instead of just keeping them for whatever, might as well emulate them for canvas. The one pictured above is by far the favorite, because it just has a slightly more realistic vibe to it. Feel a bit silly to say when I got up the other morning, I left it to sit in front of the tv and mistook it for something on television. Haha, oh Dee you're such a silly kid.


KaleidoscOak 2

Now I want my own oak tree in hopes to get something as special as these every season, but I know I just don't have the room for one here. But I wonder, because I am jealous of those raking up their oak leaves, are they, too, jealous of me, as I rake up my maple leaves? 

So, after my plans to purchase a few exotics at a local small business pet shop fizzled, I felt disappointed and advertised my desire to acquire anything that could get  related to this dream. It was answered, so I wait. In the mail I'm expecting some eggs, which I hope won't freeze, but we've had favorable weather lately. I also ordered a food source, but also, because I do like a nice Eucalyptus plant and I am always up for a good challenge to test my green thumb. So this paragraph here is all I have been thinking and dreaming about. So I wait. And check the mailbox every afternoon at precicely noon-thirty. I imagine the eucalyptus will arrive first.

as for knitting, I am slowly working on a slouchy hat. Soon it won't be necessary though, because my hair is just about ready to be donated, and I won't be able to wear a ponytail anymore.

Very grateful for my paint muse to return, grateful for generous strangers, and endless gratitude for warm autumn wind. Now it's time to make some brunch.. I'm thinking french toast.

(Jack-o-lantern action shots will come shortly)

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Blooms & Knits!


Passiflora caerulea

Started these seeds back in February 2007 for a horticulture class project. To make a crop, and my choice was passion flowers. I did two varieties, this one pictured is Passiflora cerulea, from seed, and I also did cuttings of passiflora "x" I call it, because I still have no idea what color it will be, since it was growing wild in the greenhouse.












 And a size reference!


Why do I love them? I have no idea, maybe because they are the most striking and unusual of anything I've encountered in my pre-horticultural life. It stuck with me for a long time, and even redeems itself again by blooming. I feel tempted to give them all one last feeding of bloom fertilizer, but I'll just let them settle into their crevices around the house, since they're all doing so well.

____

Knits knits knits..  it's been a week of finishing and small projects. I don't have much focus for big projects lately, but I think I'm going to have to hunker down and knit my pocket scarf and a nice slouchy hat.


Yum, dim sum!
I made a cute little dimsum catnip ball for my kitty, who very unusually does not like catnip. In fact, she backs away in terror if you present it to her. Well, I can't say there's anything wrong with an anti-drug feline.









 
Seasonal coasters...
I also knitted a set of four lil candy corn coasters. They knit up quickly, but I'm a little impatient and fidgety for swapping colors.




Knit either of these:

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

oct 20-09 - x 3



Harvest ready...
I passed some beautiful hedges of roses, their hips were so shiny and ripe they almost seemed gem-like. It was pretty nice.

I feel healthy today.

If you haven't heard about Kentville's Pumpkin people, then let me introduce you to a few. Each year, the Pumpkin people (I believe there must be some kind of secret PP council out there) appear in huge crowds and gather. They usually follow a year's theme. This year's theme being the ever exhausted theme of Olympics.


One crowd....



As you can see, they are very active. This chap has mastered
the ski jump (just pretend that he isn't "stuck in the tree").

___

Currently knitting up some little things. I think this year I'm going to try to make a few little gifts, and I really want a new hat, one that is fluffy and warm and slouchy. But I'm still also going to knit the others in my queue as my skill grows. My stockinette stitch looks mostly flawless now and my tension looks good, so I'm proud of a small achievement. Actually, if I figure out intarsia and mittens by the end of the year, I'd be happy. And I'd also like to felt something eventually...

And I have so much yarn, why the heck not make a patchy blanket? Make a few different squares, all colors, matching or not..generally medium to bulky yarn, different stitch patterns and if I get the intarsia or fair isle downpat, something more special. Watch me though...I will buy 5 new bundles of yarn, JUST for that purpose.

It's a good day to rake leaves, but they're really still just too pretty to rake them yet. Tomorrow if it's sunny and not too windy, I'll tackle it--I swear. Maybe if a friend drops in, I could borrow some motivation to start pulling the asters out of there so I can begin my garden next spring.


Friday, October 16, 2009

Oct 16 - 09



First Post

Well, maybe not officially the first post, but the first that really matters. Just to give you a little heads up, this is a photoblog, the first that I've ever attempted, so this may be a challenging endeavor for me. But I live in a beautiful place and I have a relatively interesting life that I could do it if I put my mind to it.

This blog is meant to replace my old, whiny not very interesting Livejournal. I found myself deleting everything from my past, and as I slowly catch up, I continued to fill it with unimportant posts. So here's to breaking an old terrible habit!

Things you may find photographed:  Knitting/Yarn related stuff, Cooking and experimentation in the kitchen, DITL posts (which are a lot of work so they will be rare!), Other crafts that I often make (I enjoy arts and crafts, so I'm still a kid at heart, hehe). Also, various pics of nature and every day life.

That's all for now!

Cereal & blueberries,
D

101 things to do in 1001 days




This was a list I began back in my Livejournal days, inspired by a community of the same name. The list was officially posted and started on January 3, 2009. Anything that I complete as of being posted here on blogger will be linked to and shared with photos!


This list must be completed by Friday, September 30, 2011
Italicised items are currently in the works! Stay tuned for their updates!


  1. Go to Montreal botanical gardens + insectarium
  2. Get my butt to the museum of natural history
  3. Find a hort/gardening/insect community to join around town
  4. Get my driver’s license - (Beginner's acquired, driver's ed only affordable post christmas..)
  5. Learn all the crochet techniques required to make something.
  6. Actually crochet an amigurumi
  7. Learn how to knit well (Current Skill level: Beginner/Advanced beginner)
  8. Knit myself a scarf
  9. Knit myself some mittens
  10. Knit myself a hat
  11. Redo/Redesign my business card
  12. Get married
  13. Lower my blood pressure without medication
  14. Do a few seminars on plant care
  15. Set up a vivarium (for insects - Either a Giant Leaf, or an Indian Stick)
  16. Plant a lavender garden
  17. (help)Complete the kitchen (with cupboards/floors/walls) and moved out.
  18. (help)Complete the bedroom  ..and moved out.
  19. become decent at meditation
  20. Go on a spirit journey
  21. Finish at least one story concept on the go
  22. Get down to 150 lbs
  23. Get a truck/minitruck
  24. Get my diplomas/hort certificates framed & hung
  25. Get my Certified Horticultural Technician stamp
  26. Get into a job at a nursery again
  27. Go on a survival/roughing it trip
  28. Go Kayaking
  29. Go snowshoeing
  30. Fall in love with winter in general
  31. Paint on a massive canvas
  32. Make some of these passion flowers bloom View here!!
  33. Take an art class/workshop
  34. Go swimming
  35. Re-format my cookbook
  36. Create a new recipe
  37. Raise monarch butterflies
  38. Raise more black swallowtail butterflies
  39. Get a Ginkgo tree (have 3 seedlings)
  40. Start at least 2 bonsai trees
  41. Draw a comic strip (4 panel)
  42. Draw a comic page (a full color page)
  43. Get my budget plan together
  44. Get a full time job doing something I enjoy
  45. Negotiate to adopt a dog.
  46. (if 44, then jog or walk with dog habitually)
  47. Create a tradition for the summer
  48. Go (regular/easy) camping in New Hampshire mountains
  49. Re-learn French, be capable of full conversations - working on this
  50. Learn how to sew w/machine
  51. Make a lavender wreath
  52. Go to a spa
  53. Get my ears pierced again
  54. Get my ginkgo leaf tattoo
  55. Give up pop
  56. Collect seeds from one growing season
  57. Read a French Novel
  58. create a rough tropical plant shop biz plan  Done.. just need the startup $
  59. Adopt an optimistic philosophy
  60. Go to a Mooseheads game
  61. See another musical
  62. Print some photos for the walls
  63. Go to a big amusement park; ride all the coasters there
  64. Help design a forever house
  65. Get down to 135 pounds
  66. Plan a conservatory
  67. Plant a temporary tropical garden for summers
  68. Create a vision journal with at least 10 pages
  69. give up hot dogs, sausages, and “mystery meats” - Still struggling with this beast.
  70. Give up jerky
  71. Knit myself a REALLY warm blanket
  72. Give up non-green cleaning products
  73. Go to a convention
  74. Get the rest of my things that I own from my parents’ place
  75. Any of 74’s items I no longer want, I will donate or sell, or just get rid of.
  76. Grow a giant pumpkin
  77. Get a respectable wardrobe (no more paint/gardening clothes)
  78. Become a better Geranium collector  – Collect 10 varieties (2/10)
  79. Try and re-initiate my old vegetarian lifestyle
  80. Beat an RPG video game from my collection
  81. Read all my unread books, sell/donate the ones I don’t like, and buy no books till then!
  82. Overcome my crippling fear of swimming in the ocean
  83. Get a wii and marioparty. And throw parties.
  84. Knit a Blanket
  85. Recycle more obsessively. I live in Kings County, where you have to do this!
  86. Pay off/eliminate half my educational loan debts
  87. Go to the west coast to the petrified forest
  88. Climb a tree
  89. Have a picnic
  90. Sculpt a figurine
  91. Have a slumber party 
  92. Catch a frog
  93. Set up a fish tank
  94. Find a home for all these damn passion flowers
  95. Watch a sunrise in mushaboom (cottage place/ocean)
  96. Catch fireflies
  97. Read a(nother) book about core shamanism
  98. Read a self-improvement/positivity book
  99. Donate to a charity (Donated to: Foodbank, SPCA, Will be donating my hair soon)
  100. Complete at least 50 items on this list
  101. do ONE act of guerrilla gardening in my neighborhood

About the Image: Red maple photographed at Settler's Green, New Hampshire, September 2008.

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