Spring Planting Time

Hello & welcome to spring planting time in my veggie garden. The seeds were started back in February and now are excited to feel the dirt. Not sure which of us is happier, me or the greens. 

Red kale here in the dirt. so happy to be digging in the dirt today. the spring has been wet with periodic short dry spells. Hard to plant when there is standing water in the backyard.  Several days, you could squeeze the water out of the soil. Success today.  

Swiss chard & Collards were also transplanted into the veggie garden today.  Looking forward to greens in my salads soon. 

Candid pic of me from the 2024 Eclipse yesterday. Grateful to have been in the path of totality in Rochester, NY.  Support local & shop small.  Wearing an epic shirt from Lake Ontario Press & my Buffalo Bills hat for the event.  

Big Thank you to Matt Saxton, of Lake Ontario Press.  His site : https://www.lakeontariopress.com

#shopsmall #supportlocal #smallbiz 

As always, celebrate the way you want for yourself.  Many I know traveled or attended large events. That is not how we wanted to remember the eclipse. We stayed home and enjoy this once in a lifetime event in our own backyard. Happy day after the eclipse. 

Show Time

Gem Fest in Canandaigua

Show time has arrived.  Happy to showcase my skill and teach class at the Wayne County Gem Fest this weekend.   Class is 12:30 each day.  If needed a second class in the afternoon will be announced at the event. 

We will be exhibiting the beautiful Geodes, thundereggs, and slabs we have with the public at the event.  As a lapidary, I seems to have acquired a ton of rocks, literally.  There will be a few cabochons for those who do not like stone cutting, also. 

As a wire artist, how could I exclude my creations?  There will be some of my small wearable works of art available. 

Black Lives Matter

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  

 Free the People ROC

 

We need to support our brothers and sisters.

#blm

#bekind
#blacklivesmatter
#lovewins

#ally

Buy Local from the Maker

Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community

My Shop:  My Shop

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Tomatoes Time Arrives

The long awaited day has arrived in my Rochester, NY garden.  We took last year off to treat the garden for a tomato problem.   We are planting tomatoes this week.  Happy dance over here.  Their harvest will be the next BIG celebration.  

The current harvest or happy plants include leaf lettuce, mustard, and collards. Our  snow peas are vining but not producing yet. Lettuce in the picture at right. 

Happy for the normal temperatures to return so the spring growing season can produce the food we enjoy.   The climate emergency has shown types of plants we choose will need to change.  With strong fluctuations as wet and dry as well as hot and cold this spring we need to prepare.

Black Lives Matter

We need to change the way we treat others in this country. #blm #blacklivesmatter #ally #bekind #lovewins 

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  

 Free the People ROC

Buy Local from the Maker

Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community

#shoplocal

#buylocal

#artist

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Spring Garden Joy in May

What brings you joy in the spring time? I enjoy seeing so many gardens come to life after a long winter.  my joy comes from the success of the plants I have growing. In the veggie garden right now are my cooking greens & lettuces.  I feel lucky to be in Rochester, NY and have the Fredrick Law Olmsted designed gardens to walk through here.  As the calendar says mid spring, the lilacs in Highland Park are bursting with their fabulous scent.   

This is some of the late fall 2022 Collard I planted last year.  It was not big enough to harvest last fall and it has overwintered here.  We had an odd winter and it was not cold long enough to kill this off. 

Why I love gardening. My paternal Grandma had an amazing green thumb. Growing up, I helped her in her gardens.  I have fond memories of her yard in the spring bursting with colors. Some of the flowers and plants in her gardens: roses, zinnias, geraniums, peonies, sweet potato vine,  pansies, petunias, snapdragons, raspberries, blackberries, violets and many others.   

This is perennial sage in my backyard garden.  I have many fond memories every spring when the snapdragon bloom.  it still is my favorite flower and she always put them into water whenever I harvested the wild snaps near her summer cottage.  As I grow older, I am grateful for all I have learned from her about gardening and food storage.  She is the reason I started canning tomatoes.  Now in the winter, I can enjoy the fresh tomato flavor forth summer garden.  Thank you Grandma.  

Black Lives Matter

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  As an ally, I want to support and stand up. 

 Free the People ROC

 

We need to support our brothers and sisters.

#bekind
#blacklivesmatter 
#blm 
#standup
#listen
#lovewins

Buy Local from the Maker

Why shop Small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  

$68 stay in the community

My Shop:  My Shop

Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Instagram: Instagram 

 

This stunning statement necklace is made with a OOAK Dichroic Glass focal.  Always happy create custom pieces for your special person.  

 picture by Pixel Wave

April Showers Bring Spring Flowers

Welcome Spring plants

Certainly have had rain this spring.  Rochester is 1.5 inches above normal for rain since March 1st.  For my backyard garden, that means standing water or mud everywhere & no planting until it dries out. Wet in spring is an annual thing but have not had to wait 3 weeks to plant my peas in quite a few years. 

Hello bicolor crocus in my front yard bed from 2 weeks ago.  Happy to see you as we enter and exit our property.  beauty to greet the dogs as they walk by in the morning and their owners with them.  It is fantastic to have my garden to talk to my neighbors about thought the year.  they stop me and ask questions.

Hello to my tatsoi mustard thriving in my garden. always one of the first seeds I plant outside.  will be thinning and enjoying them in breakfast next week.  Homegrown is best.  Love my backyard garden.   patiently waiting  for the snow peas to pop out of the ground, ( well actually to sprout). 

The other greens in the dirt are mesclun and black Simpson lettuce.  We will be transplanting the kale and collard in a few weeks.  I started the seed later this year.  It was so wet, afraid to not be able to plant them when they were ready.

Nothing make it fell like spring arrives until I can dig in the dirt in my garden.  Happy gardener here and happy plants.  

Earth day today and glad to have edibles in my yard to enjoy for the growing season.

Black Lives Matter

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  FB page  Free the People ROC

I invite everyone to stand up, listen to others, be kind and support our sisters and brothers.  

 

#bekind

#blacklivesmatter 

#standup

#listen

#lovewins

Buy Local from the Maker

Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  

$68 stay in the community

#shoplocal

#buylocal

#artist

Endometriosis Awareness Month

Local Event & Endometriosis Awareness month

 

As March is endometriosis awareness month, I am donation 25% of my sales this month to the World Endometriosis Research Foundation.  It is a cause near to my heart that is not taken seriously by many people.  I am an ally and want to use my creative ability to help.  

There was a great pop up shop yesterday. It was in a small woman owned business in my city, Rochester.  I announced my intent to donate to this research foundation there.  If you missed the event, here is a great pic the venue took of me yesterday.  I always support small business in my city.   

This graphic here illustrates several facts. 

The artist is Sophie Kathleen.  

If you would like to give 100% directly to WERF the link is below.

World Endometriosis Research Foundation 

Give Here

Share the information and help to educate people about Endometriosis.  

Shop Small

These beauties are from my Copper Geometry line.  Please support local business in your community.

My shop:  Panda Wear Website
Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
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Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community.

Spring 2023

So Excited - SPRING arrives today! Monday afternoon 3/20.at 5:24pm  As a gardener, it is the best time of year when everything wakes up.  Today is the Spring Equinox 2023! This is fantastic.  It is off to a wonderful beginning.   my seedlings are doing great and my peas will be planted soon.  

These beach glass rings are from Lake Ontario which is less than a half hour drive form my house.  I enjoy looking of the glass and seeing what the glass becomes.  .  hat better way to think about the new season tan to remember outside warmth of walking on the beach barefoot.  

Black Lives Matter

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  FB page  Free the People ROC

These are events this week.

March 23 is three years since Rochester police murdered Daniel Prude. I invite everyone to stand up, listen to others, be kind and support our sisters and brothers.  

 

#bekind

#blacklivesmatter 

#stopasianhate

#standup

#listen

#lovewins

Buy Local from the Maker

I have a Pop up Shop 3/25 10am -2pm   900 Jefferson Rd Rochester, NY

location in picture. please share on social when you see my flyer.

My Store:  My Shop

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Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community

Why Shop Small and Support Local

 Shop Small

Three questions about shop Small and Support Local 

• What does it mean to shop small?  
• Why does it matter?
• Who does it benefit?

The term shop small means to buy from small business and not the big box stores. In my state, New York,  25% or 1 in 4 business have permanently closed in the first two years of the pandemic.  Where you spend your money matter and helps keep local business in your community.  Those local business support local causes and charities because we are close to them.  As an artist, and entrepreneur,  I know what is means to put everything into my business. 

For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

 Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  

 Free the People ROC

March 23rd is three years since Daniel Prude was killed by police. Their graphic of events next week.  

I believe in supporting my local community. As an ally,  I know we need to listen and show up to support groups in our city.  FTP ROC is a vital part of our community.  

RSVP   bit.ly/DanielsLawWOA

Celebrate Womens History Month

 How are you celebrating the beginning Womens' History Month?  

Pink Boots Society

So inspirational to hear the founder of this organization, Teri Fahrendorf,  at the Pink Boots Collaboration BrewDay At Prison City Brewery. this is an annual event in Auburn NY and the entire weekend is a celebration. you can step up and support them on their site below.  They allow donations and sell merchandise.  

Pink Boots

 

Looking for other inspirational events which give back to the community for the month.  Feel free to send any events you were inspired by to me.  

These boots make me want to dig in the dirt.

Black Lives Matter

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  

 Free the People ROC

We need to support our brothers and sisters

#bekind

#blacklivesmatter
#blm 
#standup
#listen

#nojusticenopeace

Buy Local from the Maker 

 

photographer: Tim Fusse

 My Store:  My Shop

Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
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Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community

Vegetable Garden for 2023

What is my favorite day of the gardening season?  My favorite day is the 1st day digging into the garden for the the initial seeds of the season. It is about four weeks away. As we prepare for the 2023 Veggie garden, I was working on the design a few weeks ago.  As we stared some seeds, our excitement builds.  

The most important element to keeping our garden happy is the homemade compost we add to the soil every year.  happy to have soaker hoses in the gardens so the water goes only where we need it.  

Shown are a few of the early sprouts of our vegetables and Morrisonite in gold statement pendant.

Black Lives Matter

Free the People ROC is the group in Rochester, NY.  

 Free the People ROC

 

We need to support our brothers and sisters.

#bekind
#blacklivesmatter 
#blm 
#standup
#listen
#lovewins

Buy Local from the Maker 

 

 My Store:  My Shop

Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Instagram: Instagram

Why shop small?  For every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community