The May Garden

 

Where ever did the month of May go?!

We did have a solid week of soaking rain leading up to and through Memorial Day weekend. It was the loveliest rain and everyone rejoiced because it alleviated the drought conditions here. The yard and garden sprang up green and the plants took off with new growth. All the lavender made it through the winter and it is about ready to bloom. The tomato plants from Raleigh have already produced three, red plum tomatoes. This is an early record for us. Steve gave Father Xavier the first, ripe Cayenne pepper. I choose to plant pole beans at the wire trellis instead of the usual bush beans we plant because Claire thought the trellis was so beautiful last year. We are also trying a new trellis method this year for the cherry tomatoes. Steve built something similar to what he saw Simon use up in New Hampshire. The plants are tied with little plastic clips to the strings. The indiscriminate cherry tomato plants always grow too tall for the stakes so this system will allow them to climb higher. The dill, basil, and marigolds come up wherever they please as volunteers each year. Mostly they are let be unless they are in the way or have better use elsewhere. There were several volunteer tomato plants of which I saved four. So far, we are off to a good start.!

Steve began to clear out the back of the property with the bulldozer. I told him to take out the scrubby cedars that grow as under story trees everywhere. (The ridge on which we live is labeled as "Cedar Ridge" on local maps.) Taking those out has now created a clear sight line through the large trees. He created a giant burn pile with all of it. Now he is pulling stumps. The goal is to be able to mow or at least brush hog right up to the graveyard at the back. Poison ivy grows abundantly there. I am afraid it will take off now that sunlight is being let in. I heard there is a local goat keeper who rents out their herd for grazing overgrowth. I might look into that. 

I rejoiced when I saw the oak leaf hydrangea finally blooming for the first time since I planted it many years ago. I have no idea what changed its mind about blooming but I am so happy to see it!

I hope we have more frequent days of rain because it makes all the difference in the garden and for our wells.

 

Ever Playing "Catch Up"

 It seems like I just posted about the April garden and here we are at the ending of May! Nothing of great note is happening here, other than the fact that time is flying. 

I have been sewing a lot, mowing the lawn, planting seeds and flowers, and finding a few fun excursions to take with friends. One Friday, Kay and I went to the Fishersville Antique Expo. It was a true antiques fair and so much fun to walk through. I found three things to bring home. My favorite find was a large and deep wooden tote. I seem to have a 'thing' for wood totes and have collected a few over the years. This one is large enough to hold some folded doll quilts, which is how I intend to use it. I also bought an old salt-glazed crock with a bit of blue on it and a washstand, which was a bargain. The dealers were all very friendly and willing to dicker. Steve is not thrilled about where I have placed the washstand so it may have to move. We will see...

 

I framed the racoon cross stitch in a vintage frame I already had in the basement. I ordered non-glare plexiglass, a matting board and hanging hardware from an online shop called Web Picture Frames which I frequently use for framing needs. I gifted it to Blake. I also sewed a pretty Flying Geese bag, a needle book (not pictured), and scissor case in coordinating fabrics. I was preparing to travel to a stitching retreat and wanted a way other than Ziploc bags to carry my things. I feel like I am traveling and stitching in style now! : )

 

Kay, Pat, and I drove to Gettysburg for the annual Gathering Hands retreat last weekend. It is held at a new venue, which was much nicer than the last two places. We had a lot of fun seeing our friends whom we only see once or twice a year. We spent three days talking, creating, shopping, and learning from one another. We found a great fabric store called Needle and Thread. It has been in business for forty-two years, run by the same family. I hope to find my way back up there again. 

 

Starts and Finishes, What I Have Been Working On

 I have really been enjoying my new sewing machine. The dining room table is perpetually cluttered with a work or two or three in progress. Today I sewed the binding on the latest quilt I got back from the quilter. I adore these Tilda Christmas fabrics I bought last fall. I used four of the prints to make this variation of an Irish Chain pattern. This quilt will be tucked away until Christmas when we will keep at the foot of our bed. It doesn't scream, "Christmas". The duck egg blue border is the only thing that gives away a holiday theme. So, it should be able to stay out for a good long while around Christmas time.

Without the binding.

 

I also pieced a sweet 30"x30" quilt with little baskets on it. This one will be made with a flannel layer rather then a batting layer. This way it will be floppier for use as a table topper or some such. I plan to hand quilt this one while I am away at a hand crafting retreat in a couple of weeks. Boy did I struggle with the points on these baskets. I managed to do okay with the bottom points but I really lost the side points in the sashing. I worked and re-worked a few of them to no avail. My motto regarding quilting needs to be, "Good enough."

These little baskets are just adorable!

 Lastly, I just finished a cross stitch for Blake. I thought it was sweet that my son-in-law should want a stitched item made by me, his mother-in-law. Blake chose this racoon pattern but asked that the pink flowers be replaced with blue. I found an older frame in the basement (from my hoarded picture frame stash) that fits perfectly. I ordered glass and backing and once that arrives I can truly finish it and gift it. 

I have no active rugs on my hooking frame although I do have one started. There are so many other things I want to dabble in which take away from time I would normally spend on hooking. I am sure I will come around to working on the rug again. It will probably be when I have to clear the dining room table of my sewing machine, etc.
 

The April Garden

 

Not much to see yet. But it is tidy and that is the nice thing about the garden in April.

 When we purchased those pepper and tomato plants in Raleigh, NC earlier this month, it set into motion a domino effect of gardening tasks. At first we thought we could hold them until planting time in our zone, which is May 15th. But they couldn't wait that long. So, we went ahead and planted them in the raised beds a month before our average last freeze date. We bought hoops and row cover fabric as insurance just in case we did get a freeze. Sure enough, a freeze warning came. Steve drilled holes in the raised bed frames and inserted the half-round hoops. All we had to do was unroll the row cover over the hoops, clip it on wit the clips provided and secure it with rocks and bricks at the ground. The plants stayed cozy and nothing died. During the cold day, I opened the up the ends of the row cover and let the air circulate through then shot it up again at night. Once it warmed up for good, I removed the row cover and stored it in a plastic box in the shed. It is now ready for use at any time. 

The weather has been swinging between very hot to cool and breezy with very little "normal" in between. We finally had some good rain but it has not alleviated the drought conditions yet. Last week Jack and Matthew came to spend the night. The three of us took the truck and got a load of mulch and the boys helped me spread it. It was really nice to have the help! 

Our little chipmunk friend that came to live here last summer still makes appearances. We still only see the one, as far as we can tell. He makes holes and then fills them in after a while and makes a new hole. I can only guess that he wants to confuse the cats, snakes and whatever else wants to eat a chipmunk. 

Return to Warm Springs

 

We booked an Airbnb for the weekend in Warm Springs with Tim and Kay as we had done last year in May. The Airbnb was a little cottage called "Cordwood Cottage" located right on Sam Snead Highway. It was four minutes away from the baths and similar distances to eateries, etc. On Friday night we dined on pub food at Bacova Brewery. On Saturday we dined at Country Cafe. I was surprised at how good the food was at Country Cafe given the simple and dated interior. I ordered Mediterranean Chicken, Steve has a prime rib, Tim ordered fried catfish and Kay had a salad with chicken on it. Everything was delicious. We ordered two desserts which were just ok. 

 Warm Springs is only about an hour away from home so we decided to mosey along back roads on our drive up and stop for a picnic. It is beautiful country in these mountains with gorgeous vistas and farms at every turn. We stopped at Falling Springs Falls to listen to the water tumbling over the fall. I would have loved to see the original two hundred foot falls as Thomas Jefferson saw it but alas, we only have an eighty foot waterfall now.

 

 

 We decided to have our picnic lunch at Lake Moomaw. The drive into the lake took us on a narrow gravel road that ran alongside the Jackson River. It was a secluded road with only a cabin here and there. Otherwise, I watched the sparkling river water scurry over pebbles. With water levels apparently low, it looked to be the perfect place for wading. Temperatures were hot, in the nineties, at home. But up here there was a brisk breeze coming off the lake and we donned our jackets while we ate lunch at a waterside picnic table. There was a nice camp store at the entrance to the park and after lunch, Kay and walked over and bought ice cream from the freezer chest. What child doesn't love the treat of choosing an ice cream from a camp store freezer chest?! It was still early in the season for the lake so it was quiet and peaceful on this day.

 

  

We took the baths on Saturday afternoon and it was very crowded. Because of the large number of bathers, they split us alphabetically into two groups with our group assigned to the Gentleman's bath. This is the original, smaller bathhouse with a rushing flume on one end in which you can sit and let the water give you a massage. We all agreed that the baths were not as relaxing in a crowd. Even though voices are to be kept at a whisper, some people cannot help but chitchat away. The ninety-eight degree, naturally heated water temperature was very soothing and I felt all my tensed muscles relax as I floated with my pool noodle. 

It was a nice getaway for all of us but especially for Steve as he has been working hard and traveling a lot. He is beginning to count the months to retirement and it seems that it cannot come soon enough. 

 

Spring Time Walks On Our Road

 

It is a good year for the crab apple blossoms.

Baby Christmas trees.

My favorite holler behind the old Cahoon farmhouse.

A red bud tree blooms in front of an old garage. 

A beautiful sculpture. A ten-foot tall tree stump that has been here for more than the twenty-three years we have lived here.

Easter Triduum

 The Easter Triduum Masses are the most holy Masses of the Catholic church. They begin with the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Thursday evening, followed by the Celebration of the Lord's Passion on Friday evening, and end with the "feast of feasts" of all Masses, The Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday night. What a glorious weekend it was! Adults who are entering the Catholic faith and have spent the year studying and preparing will receive their Baptism (if not already baptized) and their first Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil Mass. This takes place in every Catholic church, on this night, around the world. It is deeply meaningful, a powerful witness, and a joy to behold. 

Steve and I have participated in the Easter Triduum Masses since our return to the Catholic faith in 2018. (Steve and I chose to worship in the Protestant faith for thirty-five years prior to our return to the Catholic church. Both of our backgrounds are fully Catholic.) This year was especially meaningful for us because our youngest daughter, Tess, made the decision to join the Catholic church. She was raised in the Christian faith but now made the decision, as an adult, to fully embrace the Catholic faith. 

 To add to the joy, I was able to get to know all four of our candidates throughout the past year and to share in their journey as one of their OCIA teachers. It was a time of learning, many questions, moments of discernment, and personal examinations of the mind and soul. In the end, I saw their faces filled with joy and excitement during the Holy Rite of Full Acceptance into the Catholic Church. They were anointed with the Chrism oil,  prayed over, and received their First Holy Eucharist. It was truly a celebration!

Our four candidates (Tess on the right) with their sponsors and Monsignor McCellan.

 

The Easter Vigil Mass is long. It is two hours for our parish and longer in larger cathedrals. But every  part of it is worth it. It begins after sunset and everyone stands outside near a small fire. After a prayer, the large Paschal candle is lit from the fire and the priest begins to lead everyone in procession into the church. The lights are off, it is dark and everyone is carrying an unlit candle. The priest stops three times along the way and sings, "The Light of Christ". All in the procession stop and respond in song, "Thanks be to God". When we stop for the third time, which is in the center of the church aisle, the priest turns to those who are joining the church this year and are positioned right behind him. He uses the Paschal candle to light their specially decorated candles. They, in turn, light the candles of those behind them and the flame is passed down throughout the entire procession. Everyone then slowly enters the sanctuary by this candlelight and takes a seat. 

The Mass proceeds with readings from the Old Testament with the telling of creation, man's first sin and the need of a Savior. The readings are alternated with responsorial songs from the Psalms. And then comes the moment that I anticipate every year. After the last Old Testament reading, the altar candles are lit and the priest begins to sing the "Gloria". At this precise moment, all the lights of the church come on, the sanctuary is filled with light and music and bells ringing throughout the entire singing of the "Gloria".  This year in particular, Tess was seated next to me in the front pew. We turned to each other in wide-eyed happiness and our eyes filled with tears. I turned back to the front and caught the eye of Monsignor McCellan who was watching us. He nodded and gently smiled a knowing smile. There is that much joy and meaning in that moment of light and song. To know in our hearts what it means for us and for all mankind. It is indescribable.