Out Like a Lion

This darn cold/flu!  It has had me down for almost two weeks.  For me, March ended with me fighting this bear lion of a virus.  I've been able to function on a daily basis, barely, but coughing, etc., has made this week a very low activity one.  I didn't even take a single photograph.  Maybe it's what I needed.  While I've been 'resting', I've done a few organizing projects which I could do while sitting in my favorite chair.  And this is a definitely a Fave for me.  So, in spite of my 'slow week', here are my Fave Fives for this Friday.  (See? You can find blessings everywhere and anywhere.)

1.  My knitting patterns were in a mess.  Normally, I store them in a couple of three ring binders, but the binders were over full and showing their ages, so I replaced them with new binders and reorganized the tabs.

2.  I also reorganized the binders of warranties/instructions/receipts for things we own.  For the fronts of all the binders (see #1), I printed up sheets to identify categories of what is in each one.

3.  Then, I went through a few other files and either consolidated or cleared out excess to make it easier to find what I need.   I do love me some organized files.

4.  Every day I have made a point of being outside for awhile in the morning and the afternoon in the sunshine.  Mostly I've puttered around in the garden and done things like repot some plants or moved containers to sunnier (or shadier) spots.  I'm pleased to report that all of the sweet potatoes plants are still alive.

5.  Something in a conversation with one of my girls triggered a memory and so I pulled out my files of ancestors' records.  I've been reading through them and am simply amazed at the history of my family.  In more than one family tree, I (and The Professor, too) can claim the right to belong to the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution.  One of my great(times N) grandfathers crossed the Atlantic Ocean from England and landed in the New World in 1636.  One of my dad's cousins was an enthusiastic (and excellent) researcher and shared all her information with me.  I loved just sitting and reading about my family.

I hope you've had a week where you've noticed your favorite blessings!

Spring Break!

Last week of March.  Beginning of Spring.  Holy Week.  Easter.  So much to celebrate!  Here are my Friday Fave Fives for this week.

1.  Our little one PAL came with all her mommy's family to visit in Los Angeles.  While everyone else toured The Museum of Tolerance, we took PAL and her daddy to The Getty Center which is one of my favorite museums in the world.

2.  Saturday was spent with our PAL at Disneyland.  It was her first visit to The Magic Kingdom.  This face---she's watching the parade.

3.  I love when events and timing come together.  Dr. Mike was at a university near Disneyland for a conference and we were able to see him for a bit on Saturday evening and then again on Sunday for breakfast and lunch.  And the brothers (PAL's dad and Dr. Mike) had a couple of hours to hang out together.

4.  I'm thankful for Spring Break!  I guess my body really needed the rest since I've spend this entire week in the house sick with something. I seldom run a fever so when I do, I know I'm sick.  Fortunately, I've had the week off so I haven't missed any classes.

5.  Spring! The sun is shining.  The garden is growing. Everything is blooming.  Today I feel well enough to spend some time in the garden.  How long will it be before I can harvest some kale and spinach?

This was Willow's Week in Five short segments.  Happy Easter to everyone!  HE IS RISEN!

The Happiest Place

Disneyland.

The Happiest Place on Earth.

Tea Cups

Dumbo

Pirates of the Caribbean

The best part was the parade!

It's a Small World

Party Green

This week is St. Patrick's Week.  It's also my birthday week.  In fact, my birthday is on St. Patrick's Day, March 17th.  It's fun for me to have my birthday on a 'holiday'.  This has been a week filled with little blessings which I'm sharing as part of Friday Fave Fives.

1.  On Wednesday, a former student walked up to me and handed me a plate of cookies.  I was a bit surprised although I know we have talked this year about baking vegan cookies.  When I asked her if she knew that this week is my birthday, she replied, "No."  But it was serendipitous, don't you think?

2.  Two brothers ran bounding up (as only boys can do) with handmade birthday cards and a small pot of succulent plants and yelled, "Happy Birthday, Mrs. Willow!"  How did they know/remember?  It turns out that their mom has my birthday saved on her phone.  Every teacher loves a mom like that!  It also turns out that their grandma is a succulent plant enthusiast, and I am definitely benefiting from her expertise.

3.  Have you ever received a gift of flowers delivered to your home?  I never had.  But This, Year. my sweet friend sent me a beautiful bouquet.

4.  When your hubby asks, "What would you like for your birthday?" it's always a good idea to have an answer ready.  My desire was not an expensive thing.  I wanted a tea ball spoon.  Evidently, he visited my favorite tea shop and found exactly the right one.

5.  For obvious reasons, St. Patrick is my favorite church father (followed closely by St. Francis of Assisi).  Everyone is familiar with various Irish prayers.  Here is part of one of my favorites:

In the name of the King of life

In the name of the Christ of Love

In the name of the Holy Spirit

The Triune of my strength.

May God shield me,

May God fill me,

May God keep me,

May God watch me,

May God bring me this night,

To the nearness of his love.

The peace of the Father of joy,

The peace of the Christ of hope,

The peace of the Spirit of grace.

May you all have a Happy (St. Patrick's) Weekend!  We'll be off celebrating with my PAL and her parents.

Rain, Garden and Work

I didn't expect this week to be as busy as it was.   My boss is gone on an emergency family matter, so the rest of us have been picking up some extra classes.   My extra duties aren't that much but it has made a difference in my week's schedule.  I had intended to write more about our hike from last week, but I just didn't have the time to do it.  Nevertheless, I tried hard to slow down when I could and relax and focus on the blessings of the week.  This is an important part of my week--Friday Fave Fives.

1.  Rainstorms.  Complete with lightning and thunder.  In most of the US, that wouldn't be a big deal, but here rain is scarce and thunderstorms are even scarcer.

2.  I happened on a gardening web series which I've been watching this week.  It's been amazing!  I've watched presentations about bee keeping, composting, seed saving, modern victory gardens, fruit tree grafting, and herbal medicines.  I love gardening and I've learned so much.

3.  The details:  growing your own food has a long and noble history.  Americans grew Liberty Gardens in World War I and Victory Gardens in World War II.  Now we can grow our own food and save money and energy AND have excellent nutrition and flavor right in our back garden.

4.  I loved this comment:  Bring the store to your home.

5.  A sobering quote and thought from Wendell Berry (Pleasures of Eating):

We still (sometimes) remember that we cannot be free if our minds and voices and controlled by someone else.  But we have neglected to understand that we cannot be free if our food and its sources are controlled by someone else.

The only photo I took was of this funny quail booking it across the road in front of my house.  I had to zoom in and then crop it a bit.  Doesn't it look like a postage stamp image?

In Like a Lamb

March has arrived, gently and softly, like a lamb.  Willow's Week has been mostly uneventful with just 'the usual' activities of work, church, small groups, Bible study class, farmers market, and spinners/weavers guild monthly meeting.  These are the best and brightest spots--my Five Fave which like always I share as Friday Fave Five with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story.  Here's the link.

My Fave Five from Willow's Week:

1.  A bit more gardening was done.  Mucking around in my garden is at least as much fun for me as harvesting the produce.  I planted kale and spinach next to the snap peas.

2.  I also planted six sweet potato starts.  This is a first for me, so I've made a little experiment to determine how best to grow sweet potatoes in my garden and planted three different ways. After watching several youtube videos, I still couldn't decide on how to plant them.  So I thought, "I'll just try all three."  It'll be fun to check out the results in about four months.

3.  Saturday was a beautiful day!  We hiked in the Satwiwa area of the Santa Monica Mountains.  It's very mountainous (hence the Santa Monica MOUNTAINS) and so after we left the valley, it was all up and down.  (I'm planning a more detailed post on the area since I've hiked it several times since the May 2013 Springs Fire which roared past my home and on into this area, burning all the vegetation to the ground.)

Satwiwa Meadow

4.  The poppies are blooming everywhere now.  I love these cheery, cheeky flowers--our state flower.

5.  I love our nightly walks.  We decided that if we are going to walk every day, it would have to be in the evenings since our schedules are dissimilar and every day of the week is different.  We often meet the same people out walking which is always pleasant.  And best of all, for the first time ever, I'm taking some interest in astronomy.  Finally, I (sort of) understand how the moon works, how it changes moon rise through the month.

It may still be winter, but it's March.  Soon, soon, it will be spring with more garden and more hikes and more poppies.

Last One in February

Fourth and Last February Friday Fave Fives list.

How is it possible that we are one-sixth of the way through 2016?

Friday Fave Fives is a way to remember the best blessings.

Remember--it's always a good day when no one has shot at you, and you were able to get out of bed and drink your coffee.

1.  Spring is really and truly here.

At the farmers market last weekend, we found the first asparagus of the season.

We ate it at dinner that evening and as we were savoring each bite, The Professor stated, "You need to make this one of your Fave Fives for next Friday!'

2.  On Sunday The Professor and I attended a healthy living conference.  I've gone before, but this year he elected to join me.  It's an all day affair and includes a super healthy breakfast and lunch. Excellent speakers and excellent information.

3.  I love my garden. It's spring!  It's a perfect combination.

My garden has begun sprouting!

So far, I've planted snap peas and carrots.

I think my garden could make my Five Faves list every week.

4.  I love the small beasts which are around greeting me as I water or weed.  Mr. Lizard has a very long tail.

I don't know much about birds, but I do recognize the tiny hummingbirds.  Here is one perched on the aloe vera spike.  He sat there and scolded me the whole time I was outside photographing him.

5.  Remember this yarn?

I handspun it last summer and didn't have a plan for it.

But my friend who has conscripted me to be her indentured knitting worker loves it, so I made a shawl for her.  It's done and delivered to her, but of course I forgot to take a photo.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

Enjoy the outdoors.

Take time to rest and relax.

Declutter something and simplify your life.

Memories of Ft. Bragg

This week I have been somewhat nostalgic for my northern roots in the Pacific Northwest.  When we visited Mendocino County in Northern California this past summer, we stayed for a day in Ft. Bragg.  There is a botanical garden there (appropriately named Garden By the Sea), so of course we had to spend a couple of hours there.  Today I remembered that I had taken photos in the garden and they reminded me so much of my verdant roots.  So I went back to the pictures in my files for a visit.

Who wouldn't want to live here, even if it's often foggy?

TFFFF [Third February Friday Fave Five]

It seems like every week is a busy one these days.  If I'm not teaching, I'm studying, planning or reading papers.  I enjoy keeping busy but sometimes, I like to just rest.  I did that a bit this week, intentionally.  It helps me too to stop at the end of the week and remind myself what the highlights were.  I think that's why I enjoy Friday Fave Fives--it helps me focus on the positive events so I don't simply plod thoughtlessly through the days and weeks.  Here are my Fave Fives from Willow's Week.

1.  After the crazy hot days at the beginning of the week (87F), it cooled off and rained.  Here in drought land, rain is always a fave.  All these white blossoms are on the ground now, knocked down by wind and rain. I'm glad I took a few photos last week before the wind and rain swept through.

2.  I successfully signed myself up for a couple of official appointments online.  This is a fave because it didn't take as long as I feared.  And it was much easier than I expected.  Whew.

3.  My sweet students!  One young man brought me a lovely pink orchid plant.  Happy Valentine's Day to me!

4.  Wanna hear a joke?  My students love to share them---  "Why did the boy invite the mushroom to his birthday party?"   (Answer--see below*)

5.  The fruit guy at the farmers market often gives us the apples or grapes he can't sell because they're bruised or 'on the edge'.  He know what I do with them--dry them in my dehydrator and then I gift back to him some of the finished product.  This week we've been drying a huge box of apples.   Yummy!  These will last us for snacks for a long time!

I hope your week has warmth and flowers and jokes and kindness!

*because he was a fun guy.

SFFFF--Second February Friday Fave Fives

What a Week.  Willow's Week was-- simply put-- a whirlwind.  I did try to stop and focus so I would remember what took all my time and attention and how I was blessed in the activities of the week.  I know I'm a bit late to the Friday Fave Fives party, but at least I made it...

1.  It was hot.  We broke heat records.  One afternoon, I checked the temperature at my car as I drove from class and it was 89F.  In February.  I love this time of year when (if it's not raining) the weather is exceptionally pleasant.

2.  All the flowers have decided to bloom.

It's the very end of camellia season.

But, I spied the first California poppy by the side of the road.

3.  I marked three books off my 2016 book list!
Simplify Your Life by Elaine St. James (and I passed it on to a friend to read!)
Mini Farming by Brett L. Markham
Keep It Simple, Keep It Whole by Pulde and Lederman

4.  Driving in to my neighborhood this afternoon, I pulled off to the side of the road, hopped out, and snapped this photo of the ornamental plum tree blossoms in the foreground of the Santa Monica Mountains.   I think the plum trees are blooming a bit early this year.  Do you notice the rock formation which looks like a castle along the skyline?  That's completely natural--just rocks. I am truly thankful for the place I live.

5.  My artists group is back meeting again!  We are reading a thoughtful, inspirational book together and meeting during Lent--sort of our Lenten study.  Oh it was wonderful to sit around a table and share and chat.  We may have stayed an extra hour and we may have rambled down a few side trails.  Just so happy to be with each other.  Do you have such people in your life?

FFFFF--First February Friday Fave Fives

It's a beautiful beautiful day at Willow's Cottage, this First Friday in February.  I have Five Faves to share with you from my week.  Susanne hosts Friday Fave Fives.  Go HERE to join us!

1.  I have a new-to-me desk!  When my friend was in the process of making changes in her studio, she remembered that I have been looking for a desk for years.  This one is exactly perfect for me.  Low enough for me to sit at and use my computer.  Four drawers.  Roll down top.  And best of all, it's TEAK and matches the rest of our Danish teak furniture!  So she made me an offer.  Let's trade!

2.  The trade we made is perfect for both of us.  I knit.  She loves knitted stuff.  So I have 'indentured' myself to her for xx number of knitted items over the next year.  So far, I've made a man's watch cap type hat, a toddler's hat and a headband.  Now I'm in the process of knitting a shawl from some handspun (by me) wool in all her favorite colors.

3.  The best sign.  Ever.

4.  I finished the New Boy's sweater adjustments.  If you care, you can read about how to lengthen a knitted sweater in this post I wrote earlier this week.  The best part is that I finished it and it's ready to be mailed off to him this weekend.  And I didn't just cut it up and throw it away and start over.  I worked through the process and figured it out.

5.  The-World's-Best-Neighbor borrowed something culinary from me last week and when she returned a NEW bottle of what she borrowed, she also brought me a lovely camellia blossom.  Yes, the camellias are blooming their little hearts out here in Southern California this month.

That's it from Willow's Cottage!  How was your week?  I hope you've had a great week and TOOK NOTE of the blessings.