closing out July

I blinked and this month zoomed past me.  It's been a month of busy days and things organized and achieved.  As well as some happy time in the kitchen.

Free shelves rescued from the trash room.

Yet another shot of Rainier.

 Had no idea I had so many of these darling little dishes--use them for everything, but hadn't thought to use them to bake.  However, today felt like a teeny dessert day.  Transformed rhubarb from Bob/Ellen's with some raspberries into....

 this creation.

topped with coconut milk ice-cream and the ending of this month and summer school was well celebrated!  Tomorrow brings more Shakespeare in the park...

casting for comfort

Those of us in the PNW (Pacific Northwest) know, know that when the sun shines, you grab it's cheerful presence and celebrate.  And so we did.  Despite an unwelcome prognosis, we sat in the sun, enjoyed the hummingbirds and ate our mango popsicles. 

Happy Poetry--this just came to me via the fabulous Writer's Almanac.

My own heart let me more have pity on; let
Me live to my sad self hereafter kind,
Charitable; not live this tormented mind
With this tormented mind tormenting yet.
I cast for comfort I can no more get
By groping round my comfortless, than blind
Eyes in their dark can day or thirst can find
Thirst's all-in-all in all a world of wet.
Soul, self; come, poor Jackself, I do advise
You, jaded, let be; call off thoughts awhile
Elsewhere; leave comfort root-room; let joy size
At God knows when to God knows what; whose smile
's not wrung, see you; unforeseen times rather — as skies
Betweenpie mountains — lights a lovely mile.
"My own heart let me have more have pity on; let..."

 by Gerard Manley Hopkins. Public domain

wow

My little summer piano student turned to me casually this week and asked if I knew Fats Domino.  I said that I knew his music and thought it was fun.  She then said that she is his great-granddaughter!  She will tell him that a fan of his is teaching her piano this summer.

Such an interesting thing, this life.

sing anyway

 (No, it is not Poetry Friday, but someone shared this with me and thought it too marvelous to keep until the end of the week.)

A LITTLE BIT OF TIMELY ADVICE
by McKeel MBride

Time you put on blue
shoes, high-heeled, sequined,
took yourself out dancing.

You been spending too much
time crying salty
dead-fish lakes into soupspoons,

holding look-alike contests
with doom.  Baby, you
need to be moving. Ruin

ruins itself, no use unplanting
what's left of your garden.
Crank up the old radio

into lion-looking-for-food
music; or harmonica, all indigo,
breathing up sunrise.  Down

and out's just another opinion
on up and over.  You say
you got no makings

for a song?  Sing anyway.
Best music's the stuff comes
rising out of nothing.

reprinted from Dog Star Delicatessen, Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2006.

rainbow potion

One of my classmates did her practicum on how to follow and how to give directions. It was so much fun to do and today is full of icy rains, so I will share these liquid rainbows with your household!

Fill a jar with water.

Put a tablespoon of oil in a dish and add four drops each of the four food colours.

Mix well and slowly pour into the jar of water.

 Enjoy your swirling rainbows.

sunny seattle sunday

 My gorgeous window

(ignore the fan cord; it hit the 80s and we're suddenly sweltering)

Thai lunch with my TESOL classmates

And wheeeee!  My first certificate; now I complete 40 hours of grammar on-line and get another certificate.  I cannot tell you how exhilarating it is to even contemplate the concept of FULL-TIME employment after four years of scraping by at the poverty level. 

awesome & authentic

Is it the height of hubris to applaud one's self in public?  If so, I am going to transgress.  Just finished my teaching practicum for my TESOL class to rave reviews.   Yes, I realize that I've been teaching for awhile, but teaching one's peers still unnerves me.

Now to find a classroom 'for reals'.

random joys

salsa roasting to join the fresh tortillas

I love the odd Space Needle sightings as I wander the city.

Jolly nice view from my pillow.

Fun tea with my newest choir member

tenor Sammy

my eerily tall tomato plant--don't think even my Cali plants did this...

3 coins, no fountain.  If I fill my sink and toss them into it, will my wish still come true?

My summer diet, with the occasional pound of Rainier cherries.

lyrical kitchen

no poem today,

merely the admiration of my new kitchen toy

which transforms these globes of masa harina

into the lyrical wonder of warm corn tortillas.

If you cannot find me the rest of this summer,
know that I'll be wandering the market stalls,

finding produce to turn into salsas.

calm & content

"There are moments—there have been several, 

especially in the Aegean—when, 

through some beauty of sky and air and earth, 

and some harmony with the mind,

peace is complete and completely satisfying. 

One is at rest from the world, and with it, entirely content, 

drinking to the full of the placidity of loveliness.   

Every second seems divine and sufficient.  

 And there are men and women who seem to do what one so terribly can’t, 

and so terribly at these moments, 

aches to do—store up reservoirs of this calm and content, 

fill and seal great jars or pitchers during these half-hours, 

and draw on them at later moments when the source isn’t there, 

but the need is very great. 

I wish there were more people of that character about on this expedition."

Rupert Brooke— from a letter written while sailing to Gallipoli in 1915

for once

something I'm doing (career-wise) is at the top of a list.

plateful

'while the cloudy future may be in the laps of the gods,

the glorious present is happily on our plates.'

Mireille Johnston

bounty

 

With the unexpected gift of a cheque in the weekend's post, I was able to go on a spree at Goodwill.  For the price of one (on-sale) shirt at Macy's, I scored three skirts, three shirts and a brand new pair of shoes.  Colour me charmed.

delight full day

Strolled down the hill (all 30 blocks worth) to meet my good friend A and her tribe for a day of wandering around the city.  While waiting for them, I was intrigued by this group--don't think I've ever seen anyone playing a....broom stick?  hoe handle?  I never did figure it out, but they were infectiously fun.

 

After we met up, we had an impromptu curbside breakfast at Piroshky Piroshky.

Ms. Aubrey dancing down the Harbor Steps.

Three kids in the fountain...and yes, I did find a penny on my walk, but wished upon it and tossed it in this fountain and forgot to document the find.

Not sure why this was so dark as the sun was kinda out--it's the seaweed sculpture outside the Aquarium.

Nifty light shadows inside.

Love the joyful play of otters.

And this group seemed especially sanguine.

Posing.

When was the last time you rode a carousel? 

 Have decided that life needs to include more whirling about.  

If there are twinkly lights and fun songs to sing while doing so; even better.

How many rather creepy little metal humanlike light bulbs can you spot?

 And how many times can you sit on the snout of a pig?

Couldn't resist the cheerful allure of my favorite flowers.

And a perfect dinner to cap a fun-filled day.