This year was not what I expected it to be

I've been looking at this blog, and felt I had to explain the lack of posts.
I had such aspirations when I started this blog on my birthday last year.
For a fiftieth year, the most monumental, heart-breaking thing happened.
My husband of 24 years was diagnosed with stage 3B lung cancer the beginning of August.
I was able to take time off of work to be his caregiver, as he wanted to die at home.
He passed December 9th. Just four months after the confirmed diagnosis.

It really isn't until someone isn't there that you truly realize how important they are in your life.
Day by day I am learning to walk alone.
One day soon I will hopefully be able to post a poem I'll write ... the tears are still too close to the surface I fear.

July 31 ~ Victoria mural pictures

 

I often tell people that one day I will create a wall sized montage of all the crafts I know. When we were in Victoria to see the doctor last Thursday, we had to wait 2 hours before we could get in for the biopsy. So we decided to go down to the inner harbour and walk around.  Where we parked, there were three murals on the backside of a building. They were beautiful! I just had to take pictures of them!

And of course, a picture of the Empress Hotel, where I want to stay for our 25th wedding anniversary that is coming up next spring.

 

 

The lilies in the garden are starting to bloom, just as the rain is starting again. (The beads of raindrops look neat on the blooms)

July 24 - 26 ~ Hectic, scary times

I just adjusted the template of my blogs to include a pearl ribbon for lung cancer awareness.  Tuesday evening, I came home to bad news from hubby... and a trip to Victoria to a specialist to determine what to do about the results of his CT scan.
Please be aware of symptoms of lung cancer, and get help as soon as you can!
Knowledge is power.
Canadian Cancer Society
For the next little while, we will be trying to live a normal life as we wait for results. It will be the longest week ever!

July 24 - Who’d have thought?

I’ve let some biennials go to seed this year - the Red Russian Kale, and Parsley. I never thought that parsley would have such a lovely fragrance! I’ve also enjoyed seeing the different types of bugs that are pollinating them.

Above: Marcel’s shed with the scarlet runners reaching the eves. Parsley blooming in the front. Parsley blooming by flowering kale, brussel sprouts and calendula.

Below: I don’t know what type of flies were pollinating the parsley, but they sure let me get close with my camera to take this picture! Then there is the poppy that seeded itself in the garden. Too bad the blooms only last a day or two at most!

I seriously think that I should have named my blog “ a year in my garden “ LOL.

July 16 - A neat idea for grocery bag recycling

I have three weeks left before my vacation! Sounds like a long amount of time to start a count down with, but I am so looking forward to it! 

This past week was full of mainly work (5pm - 1am) and gardening.  Nothing really exciting. The weather has finally turned hot, so hot that I relished cleaning the fridge! (I took my time doing it too!)

I did do something different though! A friend showed me how to fold my plastic bags to save room. Its really simple… fold them lengthwise approx. 5 times. Smoosh the air out of them, and then wrap the strip around 3 fingers until you reach the bag handle… tuck the handle into the center of your “roll”, and flatten.

I ended up filling an empty Kleenex box with 35 of them! Makes a huge difference dent in the space they took up under the sink!

July 8 - Update on the Lovage

Remember when I first posted a picture of the Lovage? I had intended to try to take a picture of the bees pollinating the flowers… Not going to happen! Look how large (err…tall) the plant has become!!!

Before and After

The blooms are at least 8 feet high! No way I’m trying to get up there with a camera to take a bee’s picture LOL.

July 8th - A walk in the woods

Cody and I spent an hour or so doing a circle walk from home to Evergreen, cut through to the ERT road, and cut through to Homewood and then the power station and home.  I was amazed at how muddy some of the trails were still, mind you, its only really been nice for four days now.

Below is a picture of some of the wind damage caused over the past winter - boy, am I glad I wasn’t there when it happened!

 

 

Lots of Mountain Ash berries!

I took the picture below as a study in depth and lighting for painting.  I love the way the moss subtly changed in color in the trees in the center.

Loads of blackberry blossoms. The newer ones had a blush of pink color - beautiful, but hard to capture with my camera.