I am not sure how it happened, you see, when I started painting as a young girl and into my teens and twenties, I painted on huge canvas. Splashing paint around like a mad woman. But somehow, over the years, I have found myself painting the most delicate little details, with paintbrushes that look like eyelashes... (although, I still like to splash color on large surfaces)
This means that when I am working, I like to escape for breaks every hour or so. Stretch, crack my neck (yes I am one of those people), check on the garden, make sure the real world is still outside the door...
Although, if I am not careful I will be beckoned by the garden, enchanted into leaving my painting duties, and back to playing with petals and leaves...
We have had two glorious days. Big, fluffy, moist clouds, filled with intense monsoon rains that cool the earth and gift a huge relief from the incredible heat.
On cloudy days, I really can't pry myself out of the rustic garden paths.
Gathering treats along the way...
The gobs of dichondra seeds I planted in April have really exploded late in the summer...
Dichondra is like, a fairy carpet, don't you agree?
Tiny and sweet.
I love hearing water trickle, and am crazy about fountains, are you? I tried to bring my giant fountain from the city house to the country house, and almost broke my shoulder. So, once I get some help, I will bring the huge one over and a mid-sized one over too. I think they want to live in the country.
But for now, we listen to the trickle from here...
I gave my mom one of these fountains for her birthday, as I love mine so much.
Can I just tell you a bit more about the storms?
A monsoon storm is like, I can't even describe it.
If you have experienced one, they are unreal. Massive heat on a summer day, and then, a crazy wild downpour that hits the spot like nothing else.
If there is summer rain, I am the first one in it.
Yesterday I worked so hard on our new garden project, in two storms, drenched, digging out beds to put wire bottoms in, and then putting the soil back mixed with other soil. Poor blistered battered me ;)
But it is so worth it.
Although, I am so sore, oh my goodness, am I sore.
3 down, 5 to go.
I need only go foraging for edibles to know the why, in why I am doing this.
:)
My mantra, you only have to do the painful part once.
As I worked out there, in the heavy rain, tilling earth, digging beds by hand, I felt like a homesteader. A lone girl, with a little piece of land, in a place that time forgot.
Time shifted. It was 100 years ago.
And, I needed to grow things so my family would survive.
I felt a sense of desperation, thinking of no grocery store down the street. And about, needing to get my seeds in before it gets too cold.
I felt guilty when Mister Lovee called and asked me if I wanted anything from the store.
But then again, it isn't 100 years ago.
Still, I feel a burning passion for working in soil, so I forge on.
I got soaked to the bone twice whilst working out there, and decided that, baking for the first time in 4 months sounded beyond scrumptious. It was squeal worthy. (oops, wait, I baked a cake for Mister in June, I forgot about that)
I found a giant fig on my little fig tree, and immediately had a plan...
I ran out to the peach tree and grabbed a couple of juicy ripe babies, and headed for my package of phyllo dough, painting on each layer with melted butter.
Layering...
Phyllo, butter, phyllo, until I had ten layers.
(I love working with phyllo dough. I began making the family baklava when I was 15, and learned how to work with phyllo back then. It is easy once you get the hang of it)
I folded up the edges and sprinkled the phyllo crust with brown sugar. I layered my fruit, brushed it with the remaining butter, sprinkled some more brown sugar on top, and baked at 400' F for 20 minutes...
So rustic, so yummy.
What a week. I tell ya. What a week. Busy crazy times.
For a little break, this video is delicious....
Ah, blissful, the Victorian Kitchen Garden.
For now I must be on my way, everyone is assembling for happy hour, and I don't want to miss it ;)
See you super sooooooon!
ps: I just got these shoes (FitFlops) in the mail 3 days ago (I ordered a half size smaller), and they are sooooo cozy. Trust me. I was leery at first (as they are not something I would really ever wear), but they are great, and the brown and grey are lovely too. I highly recommend them, especially if you have a foot injury, or stand or work hard all day, have concrete floors, want to be kind to your feet or simply have achy feet. Yummmms for the feet.
pss: Matty is healing nicely. I think it was simply a bug bite (hello after hours emergency x-rays etc), thank heavens! It is not huge and swollen, and he can walk on it perfectly. He still has a tiny lump under the skin, that gets smaller everyday. Hooray!
