January 27, 2014 by Born To Organize

Tracking Hummingbirds

Hummingbird in winter

About three months ago, I decided to take part in a survey that tracks global hummingbird migration. The tricky part was recording the date two weeks after the last siting. The collected data helps researchers around the world better understand and protect hummingbirds. I’m all for that.

Guess what?

The hummers never left. In late fall we had an early and unusual frost lasting five days. The birds remained. Trees dropped leaves and still the birds remained. I worried that they were cold.

Then a few weeks ago I noticed our cat Lindy with her eyes glued to the sliding glass door. She had an eye-level show of a hummingbird splashing around in the frigid fountain outside. Stunned, I remained with her, eyes transfixed, until the little bather flew away. I missed the photo-op, but enjoyed the show. I had a good laugh at myself for worrying that they were too cold.

In late March, Mike and I plan to attend a workshop on Hummingbirds through the Los Gatos Birdwatcher. It’s a two-hour class, with a two-hour field trip the following weekend. I can’t wait. It will be fun to learn more about the birds specific to our area. I’m looking forward to the class and to sharing what I learn with you.

You can read about hummingbird migration at World of Hummingbirds.
The Los Gatos Birdwatcher is one of my favorite shops. They also offer workshops and services.

On a sadder note, I planned to link to the Phoebe Allen webcam in Southern California. Phoebe’s been nesting in a rose-bush several times a year since 2007. Last winter, several of us had our eyes glued to the nest as she went about the business of raising chicks. It was incredible. Phoebe laid a brood in late December, but disappeared on January 8th. A bird rehabilitater is raising the chicks till they fledge.

January 24, 2014 by Born To Organize

Seeds for Change

Growing from an avocado pit

It’s easy to take seeds for granted. When you bite into an apple or slice open an avocado, the seeds are visible and bountiful. Most of the time we throw them away, or at the very least, add them to our compost pile.

In developing countries, however, this is not the case. The following organizations are working to change that.

Heifer International

The Heifer Project is best known for donating livestock in developing countries. Did you know that you can donate a Gardener’s Basket as well? The goal is to help build sustainable farms and increase self-sufficiency.

The garden basket gift features tree seedlings, rabbits, chickens and a hive of bees as part of an integrated farming approach. Training consists of animal care, fertilization and growing techniques. Benefits:

Boosts production by providing compost and fertilizer

Provides organic pest control as chickens get rid of bugs and worms

Pollinates crops for a more abundant harvest

Malnutrition is a very real problem for families suffering from poverty, one that claims the lives of many children each year. When you donate a garden, you enable families to support themselves with a healthy, balanced diet.

Garden baskets make ideal gifts for gardeners. (My friend Antonina donated on my behalf last Christmas!)

Yes to Seed Fund

Yes To Inc. is a local hair and skin care company, manufacturing sustainable, food-based products and packaging. In 2013 they committed 1% of profits to the Yes to Seed Fund. Additionally, 100% of the profits for Yes to Cucumbers towelettes goes to the seed fund while supplies last. I’ve snapped up a few at our local shop this afternoon. Their mission is to plant gardens around the globe.

Seeds for Change

Seeds for change is a seed donation program. Their goal is to promote self-sufficiency and at the same time bring healthy foods to impoverished rural families in the US. They’ve started a seed donation program to encourage families to grow their own fruits and vegetables.

It’s exciting to see local, national and international organizations sowing seeds around the globe.

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”

― Robert Louis Stevenson

January 23, 2014 by Born To Organize

The Sensual Garden

Daphne

Our singular Daphne is in bloom this time of year producing a sensuous, heady musk. Daphne is my garden’s Sacred Feminine, the goddess of sensuality. Her blooms intoxicate, drawing me to my knees to inhale her rich scent.

There are a number of pheromone-rich plants in my garden, and lucky for me, they all flower at different times. After the Daphne fades, the Jasmine comes to life. You’ll find me in the side yard making up things to do for the weeks it remains in bloom. The lavender revives in late spring, attracting bees all summer long. It lines our front deck, and grows a few feet from our seating area.

According to Skin Biology, perfumes arose from plant oils with smells similar to animal pheromones. Plant oils with the strongest similarity to human sexual pheromones come from jasmine, ylang ylang and patchouli.

The sensual garden is a gentle lover. Leaves stir smoothly on an afternoon breeze as buds unfold languidly when ready. Bees swoop in, spreading garden goodness from plant to plant.

Without a quenching rain, my earthly companions must reach for ground water. So far they’re holding their own. The garden wouldn’t be the same without them.

January 22, 2014 by Born To Organize

And the winner is…

Butterfly Sprite
Mixed Media on Canvas by Pauline King of The Contented Crafter

Me!

Oh my gosh. I’ve been dutifully buying raffle tickets from school children, the scouts and pretty much anyone that asks for years. I’ve never won a thing.

Blogging completely changed my luck.

I won the drawing for an art print of my choosing at The Contented Crafter. All I had to do was leave a comment on her blog (which is so delightful that I do that anyway.) She drew names from a teacup (my favorite beverage, by the way), and I won. Serendipity!

Pauline is a mixed-media artist, photographer, and all around talent, blogging from New Zealand. She shares her art and artful process with her readers. We’re treated to the occasional story about her charming cat, Orlando.

Pauline leaves fun and funny comments on various blogs and gems of wisdom along the way. I hope to meet her on future travels.

I picked out a print of the Butterfly Sprite. It arrived yesterday, along with a lovely note and one of her greeting cards. I’m feeling as cheerful as the lovely sprite.

Coincidentally (more serendipity) I’m working on a framing project for one of my clients, so I took my new print to the shop and had it framed just a day after receiving it the mail. I promise to share a picture when it’s framed and hanging on my wall. I’m currently scouting for the perfect spot. Stay tuned.

Thanks so much, Pauline for bringing art and cheer into our home.

The Contented Crafter sells her work on Etsy. You can read more about her process on her blog or on Facebook

January 21, 2014 by Born To Organize

Garden Pop-ups

Sure *I* was late planting this year’s bulbs, but nature is always on time. Bulbs from last season (and the season before!) are popping up all over the garden.

Life on deck

Sometimes I’ll forget that a bulb is resting at the bottom of a pot, and I’ll dump the dirt into a planter. This explains the random placement of one of the bulbs I see peeking out from the center of the vegetable beds. I love nature’s optimism.

Mystery bulbs in the Veggie garden

There are signs of tulips along the rock wall, but there are also signs of the squirrels eating the greens. I hope they lose interest soon, or that will be the end of them.

Tulips, ever optimistic

The hyacinths are up and looking pretty. It looks like the onion-scented Allium are coming back from last year, along with (I think) a single freesia.

Emerging hyacinth

Freesia?

Can you smell it?

New Life for your Old Calendar

Several of you commented that you save your wall calendars from year to year. Here are a few more ideas for turning your beautiful calendar pages into something new. For more info, visit Garden Calendar Lives Another Day.

Re-purposed Calendar: postcard, covered box, gift tags and stickers, envelopes, gift card holder, fairy garden bunting, drawer liner, box dividers, napkin rings

January 20, 2014 by Born To Organize

Old Calendar, New Life

Last year Susan Golden of the Sereno Group, sent us a beautiful calendar depicting local places of interest. Instead of photographs, the locations are watercolors by artist Lou Ann Styles. Susan sold us our home almost 18 years ago and we haven’t moved since.

Artful pages by Artist Lou Ann Styles

I like to re-purpose my wall calendars each year into something useful. They’re always beautiful works of art on lovely paper. It seems a shame to toss them into a recycling bin.
This year I turned my calendar pages into bookmarks for the Little Free Library. The natural settings and lovely detail worked well, even when cut into pieces and folded in half.

From calendar page to book marks

Bookmarks using the center of the page

Bookmarks using the two edges of the page

I saved one of the pages to make an envelope. I used the back cover of the calendar with Susan’s picture to make her a special bookmark. I hope she likes it.

It’s fun thinking of ways to use an old calendar. I’ve made them into envelopes, bookmarks, gift tags, gift card holders and postcards. Last year I recovered a small box using several pages. It sits on my desk on holds note cards and scratch paper.

Do you hang on to old calendars because they are too pretty to throw out?

Bookmark and envelope

Front side of Susan’s bookmark

January 17, 2014 by Born To Organize

Sunbathing in January

Cats loathe the rain. Conversely, they love the sun. Though our freakishly warm temps are anything *but* normal, they’re okay with it. They’ve been sunbathing in the garden and generally loving life.

Winter shadows, summer temps

Beijing faces the sun

Squirrels have hunkered down in other parts of the country. Not around here. This little fella is soaking up some rays from the comfort of a neighboring pine tree. I love the way he drapes his tail across his back for extra warmth.

Catching some rays

Apparently the spinner of this web is on walkabout. All that sun went to her head. Of course I didn’t linger long in-case she tapped me on the shoulder to prove me otherwise.

I wonder where she is?

What do cats, squirrels and spiders have in common?

Stealth mode. They can hold completely still, then move at lightening speed when the mood (or the meal) strikes. You can drop that little piece of trivia at your next cocktail party.

We’ve been so long without rain now that even the rain-haters are talking about it. Meanwhile, critters everywhere are stocking up on Vitamin D.

Have a terrific weekend. Wishing you seasonally appropriate weather in your special place in the world.

January 16, 2014 by Born To Organize

Kitchen Window

Stunning Schlumbergera

When we remodeled our kitchen nearly a decade ago, we enlarged the kitchen window. Not only is it wider and taller, it’s also deeper. I’ve kept things growing there ever since. It’s the perfect spot for plants, with indirect light, kitchen humidity and absolutely no excuse to forget to water the plants.

Trio of plants on the kitchen windowsill

Many of my houseplants outgrew their small pots and no longer fit in the window. These Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera cultivar) are another story. They like cramped roots and require very little care. The plant in the center is new, but the plant on the right is 17 years old. I gave it to my husband for Christmas, one year. He’s always been a fan of these pretty plants. The plant on the left side of the window was a house-warming gift and is now ten.

Soft pink bud

I think it’s finally time to re-pot. I’ve been searching for just the right vessel but without much luck. The pots I like are either too small, too large, missing a hole in the bottom, etc. You know the drill.

I decided to buy three clay pots and try my hand at decoupage. Last year I added gold leaf to my outdoor clay pots with pleasing results. It was also a lot of fun.

I saved the ‘wrapper’ from a pair of hydrangea with this project in mind. It has a pretty, watercolor affect and it’s durable. In fact, the wrapper is made from rock. Pretty cool, eh?

Like a lot of things I want to do, but haven’t tried before, I’ve been procrastinating. Now it’s time to get to it. I hope they turn out well.

Do you procrastinate when you’re afraid to try something new?

January 15, 2014 by Born To Organize

Serendipity: My Word of the Year

Mixed-media

Some people choose a word for the year instead of making resolutions. I like the idea, but didn’t really plan to choose one of my own. Instead, I think a word chose me: serendipity. I’ve been wading through the Carl Jung philosophical discussion of synchronicity which lead me to the more accurate idea of serendipity: a happy accident.

Yesterday I took a two-hour mixed media class at a local studio, A Work of Heart. We started with three small canvases, and three tag-board hearts. We applied a thick, clay-like medium to each canvas, then used templates to make impressions in the medium before it dried. The template I used is reminiscent of a beehive.

While we waited for it to dry, we got to choose a page from sheets of music, children’s books, or a dictionary. She had stacks of them. I reached for a children’s book, and quickly came upon Alice in Wonderland. Not only was this a childhood nickname, but I still have a few of the beloved pages from my copy of the book, a gift from my grandfather in England. It’s one of only a handful of possessions we brought from Canada.

Serendipity!

The class continued and it was great fun. We mixed our own secondary colors using three primaries, then painted over the medium. We cut the hearts from our chosen pages, in my case Queen Alice. We spent a joyful two hours, layering, painting and stamping till we had the desired effect. When it was time to add the final detail, a couple of words or a quote on each page, I went back to Alice. There, on the second page, was the following quote: “Where do you pick the flower?” “In a garden or in the hedges?”

Serendipity!

In other words, I made a work of art at A Work of Heart using pages from Alice in Wonderland, managing to find a garden quote in the last few minutes of class.

Yep…serendipity!

Oh and one more thing: when I looked up the term synchronicity, Wikipedia cited a passage from (you guessed it) Alice. Here’s the passage:

One of Jung’s favorite quotes on synchronicity was from Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll, in which the White Queen says to Alice: “It’s a poor sort of memory that only works backwards”.

‘The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday – but never jam to-day.’

‘It MUST come sometimes to “jam to-day,”‘ Alice objected.

‘No, it can’t,’ said the Queen. ‘It’s jam every OTHER day: to-day isn’t any OTHER day, you know.’

‘I don’t understand you,’ said Alice. ‘It’s dreadfully confusing!’

‘That’s the effect of living backwards,’ the Queen said kindly: ‘it always makes one a little giddy at first–‘

‘Living backwards!’ Alice repeated in great astonishment. ‘I never heard of such a thing!’

‘–but there’s one great advantage in it, that one’s memory works both ways.’

‘I’m sure MINE only works one way,’ Alice remarked. ‘I can’t remember things before they happen.’

‘It’s a poor sort of memory that only works backwards,’ the Queen remarked.

Queen Alice

Where do you pick the flower?

In a garden,….

…or in the hedges?

Contact Form

I love the blogosphere grapevine, but figured it was time to add a contact form so folks could get in touch. Comments are always welcome, but if you’re looking for a private way to get in touch this is the ticket.

You can add a contact form to a post or create one as a static page. Readers can contact you without the need to publish your email address. My new contact form is in the pages tab, above. If you want to create one for your own blog, here is a quick and easy tutorial from WordPress.

Queen Alice

January 14, 2014 by Born To Organize

Little Free Library: Books for Everyone

The base of the library is ready for plants

The Little Free Library is a hit. The outpouring of support makes my heart sing. I received a number of emails from neighbors and friends promising books and offering support. Several of my friends shared my blog post on Facebook. I’m planning a dedication ceremony as well so stay tuned for details.

I received the following email from a dear friend:

I just adore you new free book library and wanted to add four of my favorite mystery authors. I have these paperback books coming straight to you from Amazon. Please add in honor of our friendship and my aunt Vicki who as you know was a reading specialist. Believe it or not, it was 5 years ago in December we lost her. I miss her as much today as then but she is always in my heart/thoughts and she would be so proud of her great-nephew. Jackson won the school award for reading the most books last year. Kristi

Wow! In addition to being a great friend, Kristi got me hooked on two fun authors, Sue Grafton (great mysteries) and Janet Evanovich (the laugh out loud adventures of a bounty hunter in New Jersey).

New this week:

One for the Money

A is For Alibi

No Nest for the Wicket

Keepsake Crimes

Once the library was official, I found myself scrutinizing everyone who walked by. Would they stop? Would they look? Would they take a book? It didn’t take long for a few of the children’s books to move. One afternoon a woman pulled into my driveway (picture me trying hard not to stare) and her son got out and collected a book. Mortified, my teenage son begged me not to stare or worse, take a picture. Who me???? Of course I would never take a photo of someone without permission, but it was exciting to watch it unfold (the book borrowing, not my son’s angst). I remember my teenage years. So many things embarrassed me so I make an extra effort to stay aware of his emotional discomfort.

Ways to get involved

One of the questions last week was: Is there an effort to see these in some of the poorer areas?

Yes! There are a number of initiatives in the works to spread the love of reading worldwide, especially in low-income and impoverished areas. Here are a few:

Africa: Send a beautifully designed Little Free Library and more than $1,000 worth of books to Africa! Your contribution supports construction, decoration, registration, signage and enough books to help an entire village in need.

Small Towns: A small town or neighborhood near you may not have a public library of its own. One Little Free Library can bring the joy of reading to children, older adults or a whole community. Your donation will help build, deliver, install and stock one or more Little Libraries with quality books.

India: Our nonprofit partner in India is already at work using beautiful books and Little Free Libraries to inspire poor kids to stay in school and learn to earn a living. Children who thought it wasn’t even possible to dream of attending school will have the chance to learn language, geography, science, math, health and business skills. Each $500 sponsors a Library and hundreds of books that can last for at least three years. For both donors and receivers, this program can transform lives.

Minneapolis Public Schools: As many as 100 Little Free Libraries will be installed by and for neighborhood kids in a new program created with Minneapolis Public Schools. More than 20 have already been committed. The goal is to interest children who have not yet learned the pleasure and value of books. Thousands of books have been offered by Coffee House Press, Reach a Child and others. Each Library starts with more than $500 of books.

You can read details about the above initiatives and more at Little Free Library.Org