I needed a little mental boost last week, so I decided to take pictures of things that made me happy each day. It’s a nice little collection, with some reocurring themes…

june 21: vibrant colored flowers

june 22: knitting

june 23: flowers in front of the house

june 24: lavender

june 25: unexpected blue skies

june 25 – 2:  followed by a spontaneous bbq (and the cat on my lap, that makes me happy too)

june 26 : our house, it’s old and always in need of attention, but it’s home

june 27: knitting with the cat on my lap, two favorite things at once

When I took these pictures yesterday, I was a bit disappointed, thinking not much had changed. But when I looked back to last month’s posts I realized there is a lot more green now (same point of view May 27th en last week).

The radish I sowed last week already grew so much and behind it, some of the cauliflower came up too.

The kale (in the foreground) is still going strong. Maybe this year I will be able to  harvest some? In the back:  sweetcorn and more radish.

In our front garden the plum tree is doing quite well, considering we didn’t have much blossom this spring.

Here’s hoping for a bit more sunshine…

Last week I went thrifting.
I missed that.
A lot.
I used to love thrifting. I admit, it went from buying what I really needed to buying for fun. I did bring in too much stuff and  it was a good call to purge and take a lot of it back.
But lately I often found myself popping in after dropping stuff off and telling myself that it was all clutter and junk and that I’d better get home and do something useful. I was sort of right, but I may have been too harsh on myself. There was something missing in my life. I think it was fun.

Luckily my husband thought so too. He told me that this was clearly something I enjoyed doing, like a hobby, and that I usually really didn’t spend that much, all things considered. So he sent me out on a mission, to find some clocks for our home office. He has business partners in various parts of the world and it would be nice to be able to see in a glance how late it is there.
We needed at least one, but actually three or four would be better. So, after finding just the one above, I really have to go out and visit the thrift stores again very soon.

And yes, some other things came home with me too:

:: two Agatha Christie novels that I didn’t have yet. I have a lot of them (this is a double row) in this edition, but lately they are hard to find. These are actually two different editions, by the way, but they both have the same colorful backs that I like so much.

:: a little mirror to match my grandmothers little cupboard. Since I gave up my sewing space (because of the decluttering and simplifying, and yes, I am regretting it, but we’ll see how that story ends) I took out my sewing notions and filled it with jewelry, hair stuff, make-up, my contact lenses etc. I had a simple frameless mirror standing on top of it, but I like this one so much more.

:: and… yarn. I wasn’t going to build a stash anymore, after finishing every last bit of it last month, but my husband (he’s so wise!) kindly reminded me that I loved making do with (other people’s) scraps. Also it keeps knitting for charity affordable.
So this had to come home with me. The perfect colors for Knit-a-Square. Bright, happy colors for children that have to live in such harsh conditions.
I did constain myself. These were three bags of yarn, I left behind the other three bags. Those were not so bright colors, but oh, the things I could make with it… But I tried to be sensible. I have a cardigan to finish and then I will have fun figuring out what to make with this ‘little’ stash.

This is what I missed. Not the buying itself, but everything that comes with that. Having fun collecting clocks for a “world-time-wall” in the office, smiling at that funny mirror above my beloved little cupboard, making room for just two more books in a slowly growing collection and of course cooking up plans for yarn that I don’t need (still working on that cardigan in the yarn that I got as my birthday gift), but really like.

Yes, it could be considered clutter and unnecessary buying. And I don’t want my house to be full of clutter. But I find I can’t live without it either.
I guess it’s a matter of finding balance. It always is.

This week..

:: we’re so glad we’re done moving 100 bags of dirt

:: we filled two more raised beds (only one more to build)

:: I’m hoping this year I planted enough tomatoes to have some to put by (would love to make soup and sauce for winter, but they always get eaten before I get to it)

:: and watching my lettuce closely. The four plants I bought do well, but the seeds are not coming up – the seedlings in the background are endives – so I sowed some more

:: I love spying tiny, tiny leeks starting to grow

:: and I’m loving these columbine flowers in the front garden

This week, in my garden…

 :: seeds are sprouting and veggies are growing

 :: strawberries look promising

 :: tomatoes are blooming

:: and I’m liking these tiny cauliflower seedlings.

And there were some befores and afters to show off again

:: the strip of garden next to the house

before

and after (lots and lots of lavender, I imagine by the end of summer that will look so great)

:: the roof terrace

before

 after

 before

 after

Doesn’t that show that a little bit of work can make a big difference? I need to remember that while I tackle this part of the front yard next….

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~ soulemama

Last week wasn’t quite as productive as the week before. But luckily those seeds don’t need me to grow. The radish is coming up fast and I also saw some tiny green leaves where I sowed the endives.

The gooseberries are doing very well too. I didn’t expect them to, the last few years the bush was attacked by caterpillars before it could even grow berries.

And look at my hawthorn blooming… I love this time of year!