Taking things easy

Above photos, December 15. Leaving Boise, Arriving Austin.

The past month has been pretty much of a blur. I was able to go on my planned trip to Idaho and spent two weeks there. Doctor had told me to get a lot of rest, and that is pretty much what I did.  Spent time with my Mother and other family members. Spent a great deal of time just sitting by the fireplace drinking hot beverages and relaxing.  Hubby did most of the cooking plus took very good care of me.  It is really hard for me to sit back and let anyone do things for me. It always has been, which is part of my persona, but things need to change.  After the heart attack and all the meds I am on, I do feel really tired most of the time.  So I guess I am getting pretty good at this resting thing, simply because I have no choice.  And when I do have a choice, things are going to have to be a lot different from now on.

I've been back home almost a little over a week, and have had several doctor follow-ups. I'm back at aqua yoga, and I have had to modify quite a bit and it still tires me out.  I've been told it's expected so I am going with the flow and taking things one day at a time.  If I sound blue, it's probably because I am, but I think it will pass as I feel better.

Fortunately hubby and I don't get too carried away for Christmas anyhow. This year will be even less than usual and it is just fine. I have these 3 little lighted ornaments in the bookshelf in the family room and that is it for décor.  Oh except for wrapping a string of wire lights around one of my succulents on the hall table.  Ha.  We have lots of candles, they are battery operated and come on when it gets dark and go off 6 hours later.  So there is no need to get stressed about Christmas, because it will come and go without us.  I have been to no retail establishments since coming home except World Market and Target and they were very quick visits.  These little lanterns are from World Market and are new this year.

 

Little brown succulent in glass terrarium

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August 1st in Austin Texas

We had a cool front today...Ha Ha.  It was only 72 when I got up, and I sat on the front porch with a cup of coffee.  Went out around 10:30 and it was only 82, was very nice.  Went to the stone yard with hubby, and to the garden center next door to look at plants.  Walked around for awhile.  I'm not saying it wasn't HOT...but it only got up to 91 today, the coolest August 1 since 1998.  Weather guy says we will be in the low 90's this week-end.  Likely the coolest temps we will have until October. 

I love this front porch at the stone yard..very Texas looking, it just needs an armadillo.

The garden center next door, which we drive by weekly, but have never stopped in before, has the kind of local plants you don't find at Lowe's or Home Depot.  We only bought a creeping rosemary for the side yard and one of those lovely chartreuse green sweet potato vines.  But found the Mexican Bird of Paradise, they just didn't have the ones with the yellow blooms that I want. The one with the yellow blooms is actually called Caesalpinia Mexicana and the blooms look like this. 

 We ordered these cute fountain grasses, called Little Bunny. They had already sold every one they had today.

 

They had these lovely wooden arches and a lot of statuary, but I only looked.  I cannot bring home anymore things for the yard, that will eventually have to be moved.  Hard to resist though.

Renegade Craft Fair

The Craft Fair actually took place last week-end. I am just now getting around to posting about it. It was the second year it has come to Austin. Last year there were 150 vendors, and this year it was up to 200. That is a lot of booths to visit, let me tell you! A lot of walking. With that many vendors, there is a lot of repetition, unfortunately. After the first 20 or so Jewelry booths, and at least that many clothing booths, my eyes kind of glazed over. So there were a few known vendors that I missed seeing that I would have stopped by if I'd known they were there. Almost every vendor that I talked to had Etsy stores. So I wonder..how does someone stand out in a sea of like items? How does anyone sell their truly unusual things when there are so many shops to wade through. I hear this about Etsy a lot. I haven't shopped much there or tried to sell there either, so don't know all the ins and outs of it.

Outside

Inside overview


I took very few photos because I was moving at a fast pace. This is one really cute booth that I saw, and actually went back to. This was a very sweet lady, she had some lovely handmade books and journals. The way she had her booth set up was simple, but really impressed me. It was PAPER...so you know I was already smitten. She had strung cord back and forth across the booth and hung the small books, flowers and paper bundles from the cord. Very clever and festive looking. In the back of the booth she had an installation that was really interesting. She had sewn tea bag papers together, a LOT of tea bag papers, and I thought it was just gorgeous. She also had her collages mounted directly on the kraft colored background. They were pieced and stitched and really lovely. Check out her website. http://millionsofpeoplehappy.blogspot.com/ Sorry, I do not know how to make a clickable link here or I would. She has links to all her shops and you can see her work much better. Thanks Michelle, for being so sweet to us and so enjoyable to talk with.



Here is Michelle climbing up on a stool to take down one of the bundles I bought.


Had to shoot this...her color scheme was just what I am loving so much right now. Orange photo box, turquoise table cover, and soft chartreuse shoes. And her sweater and trim on her dress also. So cute.


Well, I must describe these paper bundles to you. She had taken all her leftover scraps from all her various projects and stitched them into these bundles. I'd not seen this before and thought it was so clever. Some of them reminded me of bird nests, others kind of like pinecones. There were folded pieces of paper, thin strips, some fabric (book tape I think) and the paper that is left when you punch shapes. I am not doing these justice in my description I know.


I hung them on my twig tree where I hang various garlands and other paper tid-bits throughout the year. It's difficult for me to get a photo of my tree that I am happy with, hopefully you get the idea.


Bundle close-ups. Photos are clickable to enlarge.

Are All The Birds Crazy?

Or is it just the ones in Texas? We have this phenomenon here that occurs every night about sunset. The trees are filled with birds that seem to come alive all at once. It looks like something from that long ago Alfred Hitchcock movie that scared the crap out of all of us. I have heard it from a lot of people who visit Texas. I know I have seen it in Austin, and in Dallas. I am pretty observant when I travel, especially about the birds, but I don't recall having ever seen it in other places, to this extent. If I'm wrong, please tell me, does it happen where you live?
At 6:52 beautiful sunset


At 6:54 crazy birds

These photos are a bit blurry. I am constantly trying to get good "bird on a wire" photos. I'm not always prepared, and those birds move fast.

SNOW They Said

And snow it did.
Huge Fluffy Snow.
Proof was fleeting.
Most has melted.

But for one day, we had SNOW in Austin, the most they say in 25 years. Certainly the most I have seen in my 16 years here. Wow, that was fun! Glad I was home to see it. Parts of town got a LOT more than we did out here. A funny moment, yesterday morning when I was out taking photos, me being raised in Idaho, and my across the street neighbor, being raised in New York, was out doing the same. She says "what, ya nevva seen SNOW before"? LOL

Snow falling, just starting in the a.m.


Back yard, table


Snow on metal flowers, backyard


Front yard, car, fountain