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Rocky River Musings

I flew to the charming suburb of Rocky River, Ohio, last week to visit my friend Barbara. Rocky River is about 15 minutes from Cleveland, and a short drive to Lake Erie.

Barbara and I met in California through a non-profit we were both involved in and remained friends through the years. Three years ago, she sold her Santa Clara home and moved back to the community where she grew up, rekindling hobbies and friendships.

When planning my visit, we penned it as “part work, part play” so I could help her organize parts of her spacious home. In between projects we drove to an Amish community, 

attended a fabulous production of Fiddler on the Roof, and I got to hear her perform with her 35-piece ensemble band, the Rocky River Community Band.

As with most travel, the trip’s highlights are often the unexpected. When I arrived, I had fun watching a pair of robins caring for four hatchlings on Barbara’s back patio. By week’s end, the birds fledged! Robins grow to adult size in two short weeks.

I slept through the first three leaving the nest, but I saw the last of the four robins begin exploring a new world.

Fiddler on the Roof was extraordinary! The ensemble performed at the Allen Theater in nearby Cleveland, a theater once used for silent movies. The building is a stunner.

The production included color-blind casting, a main character in a wheelchair, and a few audience members seated on stage, all contributing to an inclusivity not currently celebrated in the US. We were encouraged to take photos during intermission. The well-reviewed production received a standing ovation. It was all the things good theater evokes, uplifting us as we made our way to the street.

I enjoyed the cooler weather, a bit of rain, and a rare-to-us Californians, thunderstorm. I was less crazy about the storms when they delayed both connecting flights, but so it goes. Travel days are always tedious but worth it once you arrive at your destination.

I had a nice time away, and while I missed our San Jose felines, I got to spend time with sweet Ophelia.

Ophelia
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May Flowers

As my mobility improves post-hip surgery, I find getting up and down in the garden easier. Over these past weeks, I’ve brought the weeds under control, making daily weeding more manageable.

Yesterday, I looked under the veg trug, now home to a collection of well-established succulents, and spotted a just-out-of-reach oxalis, an invasive plant considered a weed in this area. My inner monologue cautioned against it, as I would have to kneel on the gravel path, bend at the waist, twist my neck, and then reach back to grab the weed. If you know anything about oxalis, you’ll know that the roots are strong and rarely willing to part company with the earth. I could have retreated and found my kneeler and a garden fork, but impatience got the better of me, and I went for it. Success! The weed is gone, I returned to an upright position, and I’m none the worse for wear. It’s the little things.

As I putter about, there’ve been joyful discoveries in the garden this year. Just a few days after commenting to Mike that I missed the self-seeding cornflowers, a beautiful, single, purple stem of one appeared in the front garden. They used to produce an impressive array of colors in pinks, blues, and purples, but equally rewarding, the birds loved the seeds.

The first of the cornflowers

When the plants were producing well, I spotted several birds feasting in the late afternoon. I left the plants past their prime so the birds could enjoy the bounty, and I assumed my seasonal crops resulted from dropped seeds. Then, for reasons unknown, they didn’t return. Seeds can lie dormant in the soil for various reasons, so perhaps they’ve been missing the garden secret sauce required for a prolific crop. Now at least one has returned. It makes me happy.

Also new(ish) is a tall, slender, annual flowering amongst the California poppies and nigella along the driveway. My phone identifies the flower as a Delphinium. Last year, a single flower emerged in the same spot, so I looked it up to be sure it wasn’t a weed. It went to seed and then I gave it a good shake, allowing the seeds to fall to the earth below. Now they’re back, standing tall and looking lovely.

For the first time, a sweet pea, usually prolific in the front garden, traveled with some transplanted bulbs last fall, and it’s now growing under the maple tree in the back garden. I gently wrapped the trailing vine to a trellis, and it’s growing with abandon.

The carnations we planted last year have doubled in size and production, enough so that I’m comfortable cutting a few for a vase.

Mike dug holes for a pair of tomato plants, and as always, we cross our fingers and hope they like the new spot. Our tomato production is spotty at best, but the sweet flavor of a garden-grown gem keeps us trying year after year.

I’ve been playing in the dirt my whole life, and though my body has aged, gardening never gets old.

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ScrapHappy: Dressing Up the Garden

ScrapHappy is a monthly challenge hosted by blogger Kate of Tall Tales of Chiconi. Participants create and share something made from scraps. 

This month’s inspiration is a well-loved, past its prime dress, pulled from my fabric drawer.

I loved wearing this soft rayon dress, but it didn’t stand the test of time. Unable to part with it, I stashed it in a drawer with other sewing supplies and waited for inspiration. With spring underway and the weather calling us outdoors, I decided to “dress” the garden glider by recovering a pair of cushions. After removing the bodice from the dress, the skirt fell into fairly symmetrical rectangles, just enough to cover both cushions. After multiple washings, the rayon dress fabric is amazingly soft, so they’ll be perfect for napping.

I stitched a fairy garden bench cushion using a small piece of the remaining bodice. I fashioned a tiny table covering to coordinate with the bench.

This fairy garden is mounted on the wall outside our back door and remains covered under the eaves.

Thank you for hosting, Kate. 

The links below feature other ScrapHappy bloggers. It’s always interesting to see what makers are up to.

Kate, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan, 
Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera, 
Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Viv, Karrin,  Alissa,
Hannah and Maggie

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In a Vase on Monday: Carnations and Sweet Peas

It’s that time of year when my garden fills with blooms, and I wish I could slow down time. Nature is something else, eh?

Today’s featured vase is a birthday gift for my longtime neighbor and friend, Jasmin. I used a container from an orchid that’s moved to a larger pot. The white provides a nice contrast to the flowers, which include purple, white, and lavender sweet peas, cuttings from the Pittosporum, emerging Nigella damascena, and Dianthus caryophyllus, also known ashybrid carnations, including ‘Georgia Peach’ and ‘Key Lime Pie,’ and the tiniest little flowers from Brunnera macrophylla.

I crafted a card to go with the flowers using a die designed by Eileen Hull to emulate postage.

I’ve been saving a stamp from the Philippines (Jasmin’s country of origin) to use on her card.

I added a birdhouse transfer, something she collects, and rounded out the other spaces with flowers. Jas is a gardener, too.

I’m grateful when bloggers come up with ideas to share mutual interests and to support each other’s creativity.

Thank you to “the Cathys” for inspiring this Monday series. You can visit Cathy at Rambling in The Garden at this link to see several stunning vases worldwide.

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When The Stars Align: From Chennai to LA

Nandini at one of the Pretzel Logic company picnics

The most extraordinary thing happened last weekend, but first, a bit of history.

I worked at a small start-up called Pretzel Logic Software nearly thirty years ago. When I joined, it was a company of male engineers and founders. I was the first woman hired full-time to handle the growing company’s administrative duties. I learned after joining that a woman came in on the weekend to manage the accounting, but she worked Saturday, so time went by before we met. 

Nandini and I eventually met one Saturday, and we connected immediately. We quietly revealed to one another that we were pregnant with our first child. Fast forward to the birth of our sons, Anand and Chris, who were born just six weeks apart.

Out of the workforce and searching for our footing as new mothers, we met once a week with the boys, first at Nandini’s place and later at ours. We had park dates and trips to the pumpkin patch, and in the winter, we hung out at an indoor playground called Bamboolas, where the boys could play, and we could chat, knowing they couldn’t run off. As they got older we went to Ardenwood Historic Farms for hay rides, we road the Roaring Camp railroad steam train through the redwoods, and we enrolled them in a Music Together program. I’ve stockpiled so many memories of those early years.

I was heartbroken when they needed to move back to India to support their family. Our boys were still in pre-school. Anand and Chris turn 28 this year. 

I’ve stayed in touch with Nandini through long-distance phone calls and emails and later through the much-improved live chats. The 13.5-hour time change makes it challenging, but we work it out.

Anand returned to the US to study and work. He met and married a lovely woman in February of this year. She’s a medical student at UCLA. They wed in Chennai and returned to LA for work and school, but the bride’s family wanted a reception in the US for extended family and friends. And that is how we get from Chennai to LA. 

Imagine my delight when I learned Nandini would be in California for a few weeks, I made a plan. Chris, my husband Mike, and I would fly to LA. My youngest son, Mac, lives just an hour’s drive away in Orange County so he could easily join us as well.

I flew down early Friday so Nandini and I could spend an entire day together. We hugged, laughed, talked endlessly about everything, held hands, and wished it wouldn’t end. We walked around an open-air shopping center, had lunch, walked some more, and later had tea, one of our long-held traditions. It was an extraordinary day.

On Saturday, both families met for lunch in West Hollywood at a fabulous vegan Mexican restaurant called Gracias Madre. We posed for photos, walked to the corner for ice cream, then visited the newlyweds home before we eventually had to part company for our flight home. Our friends returned to India earlier this week.

West Hollywood

Friendships can ebb and flow. Sometimes, you lose touch, or you grow apart. It’s been a joy staying connected to Nandini all these years, overcoming distance and time zones to keep the friendhsip alive.

I’m still on a cloud from the weekend and grateful that the stars aligned to make it possible.

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Earth Day: If Nasturtiums Ruled the World

Nasturtiums have taken over the garden this spring. They bloom exotic oranges, sunny yellows, and a few brilliant reds. Leaves shaped like small lily pads are often as big as saucers. Leaf size varies, each slightly ruffled around the edges with a stem supporting the leaf like a delicate umbrella, filtering the sun yet inviting the light.

Nasturtiums are happy in the sun and the shade. They return year after year, asking for little in the way of watering and pruning. A gentle rearranging of the meandering vines keeps the walkways safe from trips. They play well with others, happy to twine themselves up nearby shrubs or carry on down the path.

Depictions of nasturtiums appear in botanical art and paintings, much like geraniums. They’re a flower for the people. These garden gems stand tall, faces lifted toward the sun, gently bending with the breeze that moves across the garden late in the day.

The flower and the nasturtium leaves are edible, containing various minerals and antioxidant compounds. They could feed the masses if we could replicate all that goodness.

If nasturtiums ruled the world, they would remind us daily how nice it is when we all get along. They would stand for justice, fairness, honesty, and respect, leaning on each other for support in all their beautiful shades.

Thank you, planet Earth, for all your gifts.

On this Earth Day, we will all try to do better.

A bit about Earth Day from Wikipedia:

“In 1970, the seeds that grew into the first Earth Day were planted by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. An ardent conservationist and former two-term governor of Wisconsin, Nelson had long sought ways to increase the potency of the environment as a political issue. The extraordinary attention garnered by Rachel Carson‘s 1962 book, Silent Spring, the famous 1968 EarthriseNASA photograph of the Earth from the Moon, the saturation news coverage given to the Santa Barbara oil spill[18] and the Cuyahoga River catching fire in early 1969[19] led Nelson to think the time was ripe for an environmental initiative. As a result of interactions with his staff and with Fred Dutton,[20] a prominent Democratic operative who had been Robert Kennedy’s presidential campaign manager, Nelson became convinced that environmental teach-ins on college campuses could serve as such a vehicle.[21“

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ScrapHappy April: Just One Card

Kate at Tall Tales from Chiconi brings together a group of bloggers to share creative uses of scraps. These might be paper, cloth, metal, or an as-yet-unidentified material in search of upcycling. 

scraps of red and green paper

I’ve managed one card this month using a tried-and-true pattern known as a tri-fold card. Sharon and I learned how to make this card many years ago at a Saturday crafting retreat. It works well with scraps, with the challenge of using disparate colors and textures to create a whole.

This month’s card uses an assortment of paper scraps and a rub-on decal from a paper pack. I experimented with a scrap of vellum for the focal point, and I’m pleased with the way it turned out. 

I’ve got more cards in the works…for next time.

Happy scrappy, everyone.

Here’s a list of makers with links to their blogs:

Kate, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan, 
Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera, 
Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Viv, Karrin,  Alissa,
Hannah and Maggie

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In a Vase on Monday: Freesias and Sweet Peas

Spring’s predictable garden bounty makes my heart sing. It’s a great time to plunk some flowers in a vase and a chance to use my pink ceramic chick.

Sweet peas are slowly emerging in several shades of purple. Conversely, the freesias are winding down, but several white varieties remain in bloom. I added freesias to my vase with cuttings from our Pittosporum tree. The greens are shiny this time of year, with subtle, waxy citrus-scented flowers which generate an intoxicating scent. I hope the arrangement holds up for Easter, but if not, I’ll find more for the table’s centerpiece.

If you enjoy arranging flowers from your garden, Please consider joining us for the occasional IAVOM (In a Vase on Monday). You can reach Cathy at the link below.

Thank you to “the Cathys” for inspiring this Monday series. You can visit Cathy at Rambling in The Garden at this link to see several stunning vases worldwide. Perhaps you would like to share one of your own.

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Modeling, Protesting, and Spitting Stitches: Not Your Average Weekend

This past weekend I was invited once again to join a handful of customer models for a Liverpool Fashion show. I’m still recovering from surgery, but I would have hated to miss it. Hannah chose comfortable, sensible shoes for me to wear, with the goal of remaining stylishly upright. I’m happy to report all went well. The show raises funds for a local non-profit and unveils the current line of Liverpool clothing designed for comfortable and stylish dressing. I get to hang out with a fun group of women and play dress up.

The show is energizing but tiring, and I would have customarily headed home. However, the Hands Off protests landed on the same day. I’m seven weeks post hip replacement surgery, so Saturday’s rally was the first I could confidently attend.

I drove from Los Gatos to a shopping center in San Jose, rendezvoused with Mike, and took the light rail to the downtown San Jose event together. Over 5,000 protestors attended the San Jose rally.

According to National Public Radio:

“Hands Off! demonstrations were held across the country to protest the actions of President Trump and his billionaire advisor, Elon Musk.

The Hands Off! movement protested a wide range of activities from the Trump administration, from cuts and layoffs to federal departments to mass deportations.

Hands Off! demonstrations were organized for more than 1,200 locations in all 50 states by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans, and elections activists, according to the Associated Press.”

As much as I enjoyed the day’s activities, I suddenly struggled to stand without pain. It was time to go home. We walked back to the light rail station, where we could sit while waiting for the train, but when it arrived, it was standing room only through the end of the route. It felt good to get home.

Early this morning, and for the second time in ten days, part of the knot of stitches at the end of my incision “spit out” through the skin’s surface. My body should absorb these stitches as I heal, but they’re moving the absorbable stitches to the skin’s surface, hence the term spit stitch. It’s unnerving. 

My surgeon’s office isn’t concerned, asking me to pull the stitch taut and cut it close to the skin. There is nothing like a pair of sharp, sterilized crafting scissors and a willing spouse with a steady hand to get your day going. When an even longer stitch protruded today, first as a loop and then opening out to a 5mm straight stitch, at least we knew what to do.

What a weekend.

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Adaptive Clothing for My Sister

My sister’s progressing MS has created a need for adaptive clothing, however, the adaptive clothing available online, while functional, lacks style. Choices are limited, and most features skew toward a caregiver dressing the individual.

Sharon visits every Sunday via Paratransit so she can spend time with her cat, Queen B. Kitty is now in our care.

My sister wants to dress herself to the best of her ability. Maintaining independence when you’ve lost so much is critical to one’s mental health. Further, her care home wants to charge an additional $500 monthly for dressing assistance. We’re both appalled.

Due to leg spasticity, muscle contractions, and impaired trunk (torso) strength, Sharon can no longer wear pants or tights. Instead, I’ve modified off-the-rack dresses and tops, making them functional and stylish.

Finding a dress with a long full skirt in a soft knit material took me a while, but I eventually found two I could alter. I found a halter-style dress on another shopping trip, so Sharon has three dresses in rotation. In the end, the halter dress was the winner in terms of ease of dress, so I’ll look for more at some point. The dresses I bought were on the clearance rack at the end of the season.

Mike took photos of me showing off the altered dresses.

I changed the neckline of the two knit dresses by adding soft elastic to the dress straps. I cut the back of the skirt from hem to waist, then overlocked the exposed opening. The new opening in the back of the skirt allows the dress to drape over the legs and hips for modesty, removing any bulk or discomfort created when sitting on a full dress.

The elastic at the neckline keeps the straps from slipping and gives her more control as she pulls the dress over her head.

The third dress had the requisite full skirt, so I cut it up the back from the hem to just below the waist. I removed the tie at the neck, created a new neckline, and added elastic.

Mike took photos of me showing off the altered dresses.

I altered five tops that Sharon bought online, cutting the center back and overlocking the edges. The button is decorative while adding some weight to the front of the garment, keeping the slippery fabric in place and creating an easy-to-use neck opening.

It would be nice to see the fashion industry put more effort into serving the millions of people living with a disability. Not all sizes are equal, and the industry eventually realized that and began offering petite clothing, plus-sized clothing, and even a few tall sizes for women like me. It’s time for industry leaders to recognize the need and to do market research geared towards people living with a disability and not just their caregivers.

altered purple velvet top with slit back and button front

An Update

Sharon works for the Veterans Administration or VA, processing a complex payroll of two hundred nurses twice a month. She’s a federal employee, a union member, and a remote worker since 2020.

The Department of Personnel Management issued directives requiring all federal employees to return to in-person work by May. One thousand four hundred employees were dismissed, with more likely to follow. All employees must send a weekly email describing five things they did that week as if they were children in grade school. Further insults to employees at large forbid displaying the Pride flag in any capacity, further clarified as no flag, flag pin, Pride flag on a poster or any other image. The fear, angst, and betrayal among federal employees throughout the country are palpable.

The assault on all we hold dear continues.