Author Archives: Maggie C

Unknown's avatar

About Maggie C

Stained glass artist, woodworking artisan, writer, respecter of life.

Weekend Coffee Share 9/11/16

Posted on by
12

160911
If we were having coffee, I would tell you that my demolition activities have now extended from do-it-yourself house projects to the great outdoors. Since realizing that the majority of my yard consists of plants that are designated as weeds and invasive plant species in my county and state, I’ve decided to take on the challenge of converting my lawn into – well, something other than lawn.

Granted, the plan is a bit vague at this point, but I bought a book , Lawn Gone! Low-Maintenance, Sustainable, Attractive Alternatives for Your Yard by Pam Penick, that may or may not be helpful (I haven’t gotten very far into reading it yet; I’ll let you know), but the title is promising.

I’m going to demolish my lawn and, as time, money, weather, health and personal inclination allow, turn it into something that doesn’t bring the term “noxious” into play.

So far, using photos from online publications, I think I’ve identified the following “weeds” in my yard: thistle (multiple varieties), Japanese knotweed, blackberry, St. John’s wort, sticky weed (catch weed), groundsel, dandelion, deadnettle, English ivy, London rocket, roberts geranium, wild carrot, prostrate knotweed, fox tail, cheat grass, and morning glory.

Obviously, there’s little room left for regular ol’ grass.

My goal is to use only organic methods of plant control, and try to use primarily materials and plant species native to my region to replace the lawn. I’m pretty sure that AstroTurf is native to this area. Or not…

If we were having coffee, I’d note that now I have dallied here so long, it’s too hot to go out and work on my grand landscaping project. Maybe I’ll just sit in the cool and read about how to get my lawn gone.

Thanks for stopping by, and feel free to pull some weeds on your way out. Bonus points for the “invasive” species.

Thanks to Diana at PartTimeMonsterBlog.com for hosting the #weekendcoffeeshare.

Weekend Coffee Share 9/3/16

Posted on by
14

160903

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you I can’t believe it’s September already! I suppose a lot of people are feeling that way. The weather has been pleasantly cooler this week, but I know there are still hot days to come before autumn settles in.

Autumn is my favorite time of year, and I have plenty of indoor projects lined up for the rainy season. More painting. More demolishing portions of the house and hoping I can reinstate them. And maybe more whittling:

If we were having coffee, I’d show you my “found art sculpture” that I’ve been whittling on and have decided is finished now. It is a section of wood that I pruned out of a tree, formed by two branches that grew together into a permanent knot.

identity2

Knotted branch pre-whittling.

I didn’t notice the unusual growth until I was gathering the cut branches to put them in the compost bin. Had I seen it before cutting it down, I may have left it to grow, to continue its bonding of two into one. But at least I spotted it in time to save it from being chipped up for mulch.

finished

Knotted branch post-whittling.

I was going to put a coat of polyurethane on the wood to protect it, but I coated a sample piece of the same type of wood and I don’t like the look or feel of it. So this piece is going to stay au naturale.

I showed it to my sister in-law and she commented on how the feel of the smooth wood is calming. I hadn’t thought of it that way before she mentioned it, but I agree. And I’m glad I stuck to using only my utility knife for the project, instead of sanding it smooth. I think perhaps that affects the feel.

So maybe this is not a piece to be stuck on display and allowed to gather dust. Maybe it’s meant to be interactive. Handled now and again for textile calming and comfort. Admired for the complexity/simplicity of nature.

I know, I know. It’s just a piece of wood. But in that vein, one could also say that Michelangelo’s marble statue of David is just a rock.

And now that I’ve likened myself to Michelangelo, I suppose it’s time to come back to mundane reality. There are dishes to be washed, laundry to be folded, and whittling scraps to be swept up.

Thanks for stopping by and listening to my dissertation on the sublime qualities of a chunk of wood. Feel free to run your hand over the smooth branches on your way out, and have a calm, peaceful weekend.

#WeekendCoffeeShare is generously hosted by Diana at PartTimeMonsterBlog.com.

Pop-top

Posted on by
5

pop top

 

I opened my mind once;
pulled that ring on the pop-top lid
and peeled it back.
It made a scritchy noise, that
aluminum on aluminum sound you hear
when you pull the tab on
your favorite cheap canned beer.

My mind hadn’t been opened
in a very long time, and I was curious as to
what might come pouring out.
Imagine my surprise when
I tipped it bottoms up and found
Not. One. Drop.

The thing about opening a parched mind
is that it suddenly realizes just how
thirsty it’s been.
It wants to sate itself with new experiences.
New thoughts, sights, sounds, aromas.
New textures, emotions, connections, insights.
And surprises. It craves the unexpected.

Have you ever tried to replace
a pop-top tab on a can of cheap beer
once the can’s been thoroughly shaken?
With froth shooting out and
liquid overflowing, it’s impossible.

You wouldn’t want to close it back up, anyway.
Once unsealed, if you don’t drink the beverage fresh,
it just goes flat and stale.

I couldn’t close my mind again,
couldn’t make that pop-top tab
fit back into place.
But that’s okay.
If I don’t imbibe these new
experiences while fresh,
they will just go stale and flat.

Let’s raise a toast
to open minds!
(But let’s forego
the cheap canned beer.)

The Daily Post Discover Challenge: Open-Minded

Perspective

Posted on by
4

perspective

Those held earthbound
are cheated of the birds-eye views
that put the vastness of life
into greater perspective.

Those perpetually airborne
miss the intimate details
that keep our daily lives
in grounded perspective.

Those who soar
with an eye for potential
and touch down
to solid reality

experience life
with a sound perspective
within which ideas
can take glorious flight.

The Daily Post daily prompt: Cheat

Weekend Coffee Share 8/27/16

Posted on by
3

IMG_9059

If we were having coffee, I would tell you I can hardly believe it’s almost September. I’m looking forward to the arrival of autumn and its cooler weather. The photo above was taken in mid-July, and now the flowers have all dried up and wilted from the recent heat.

This week I’m hosting my daughter’s miniature long-haired dachshund, and he and my Chules are doing their best to keep the lawn watered. It’s a losing battle, but I’m keeping them well hydrated so they can fight the good fight.

If we were having coffee, we might be sitting on my deck in the back yard watching the squirrels as they harvest walnuts from my trees. Sometimes in the late afternoons, the squirrels are so busy in the trees it almost sounds like the crackling of a campfire. Fortunately, Chules is a live-and-let-live kind of dog, so the squirrels don’t have much to fear from him.

My cat Sebastian isn’t much of a hunter either. The few times I’ve seen him actually catch something, he seemed quite surprised and rather confused, not knowing what to do next, and I’ve managed to release the prey unharmed (though a bit damp) from his mouth and send it on its way.

I guess I’d better get started on the day now. I can’t let the squirrels show me up with their industriousness. Thanks for sharing my morning coffee with me. I hope the coming week goes well for you.

#WeekendCoffeeShare is hosted by Diana at parttimemonsterblog.com.