Memorial Day 2020

Happy Memorial Day 2020.  Harvested kale from my backyard garden for breakfast today.  Kale & farm fresh eggs were fantastic.  Today is a somber holiday as we reflect on our freedoms in the USA.  I have family whom served my Father, Uncles, & cousins, as many of you reading this have.  We do not need a huge gathering to remember and honor those whom have served this country.  Take a few hours today and teach your family what this holiday represents.  If you do not have children read history and remember why we have this holiday.

As an avid gardener, I did not know very much when I started my own gardens. 20 years ago.  We learned from my Grandmother as well my other half's parents.  To Further our knowledge we used tv and books.   Below are two of our favorites.

My favorite book is by Barbara Damrosch Garden Primer.Garden Primer  It is where I found the idea for a three year crop rotation which I use and helps keep my plants thriving.  Even in years of extreme drought, I have an edible harvest.  We also use companion plants and soaker hoses to water.  it is a great way to reduce the water wasted by sprinklers in a garden.  Many this year and starting plants because they have extra time & are home to see them blossom & grow.  Good luck with your new garden & remember to water daily for new plants and not in the hottest part of the day.

Our favorite show was The Victory Garden with Roger Swain, hom spoke about the origin of the term Victory Garden  Wiki defines. He described his memories and why he loves gardening and digging in the dirt.Trial & error as well as our lessons learned from others mistakes helped teach us to be better gardeners.  Failure is Impossible on one of my favorite quotes from Susan B Anthony.  I believe when we work toward a goal in is a journey; whether long or short enjoy your journey. 

Roger Swain Quote I love.



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We are all dealing with this time in our own way  Remember to be kind., flatten the curve, stay home and stay safe.
Honor this Memorial Day and always.

 In NY OMH Emotional Support Helpline: 1-844-863-9314

  help:https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/covid-19-resources.html

Welcome to SPRING in my Garden

 My Garden

Welcome to SPRING in my ROCHESTER Garden.  We are definitely  back to normal temperatures for this city.  Happy Dance here!  Plans for this week include planting our peppers, tomatoes, and beans.  The final hand roto-tilling was done yesterday & the compost incorporated n the soil.  Two very happy gardeners here in this house.


My pond guest has found a regular spot to sit in our pond.  He seems happy and soon should have a mate and then tadpoles.

Jewelry Design

Here is a stunning smokey quartz prong set in 14 ktgf.  I enjoy showing the beauty of the faceted gemstone with my wire work.  As a lapidary I immensely enjoy cutting gems into cabochons.  I leave the faceting to the people who enjoy spending hours to make such tiny beauties as this one here. I will keep cutting cabochons and selling them to other jewelry designers as well as collectors.   I make many more free form organic pieces such at the earrings below and my necklaces you have seen  here, my website or Instagram (links at the bottom of the blog).  Please feel free to see some of my hand cut gemstones on my website or contact me for pics.  Please include your name with the text or email for custom work.  Always happy for special orders.   

 I am taking orders for graduation gifts.  The class of 2020 needs to celebrate leaving high school and becoming adults.  I would be honored for  one of my pieces to be a milestone gift as they begin the next stage of their life.  If the graduation is college, they journey has been longer and more meaningful for the student.  I am able to work within you budget whether is is $50 or $500, your custom piece will make the graduate very happy. We should all celebrate the class of 2020 this year because it has been so difficult and different than any other year in history for a class to finish school.

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I will end this with my beautiful pond.   the serenity from listening to the waterfall and seeing the aquatic creatures enjoy the water is sublime.

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We are all dealing with this time in our own way  Remember to be kind., flatten the curve, stay home and stay safe. 

May is Here with Warmth

 Garden

Lettuce & snowpeas

 Mother Nature is warming up this week and we will return to normal temperatures.Having been about 20 degrees below normal for about a month, it is slow growing in the garden.  My experience & knowledge has kept my plants alive.   I have small greens right now and harvested some voluntary Chard from the 2019 planting. this is an image form a warmer spring. 

 

Zinneas

Why I love gardening.... from my Grandma on my dad's side. 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 in Grandma's garden: roses, zinnias, geraniums, peonies, sweet potato vine,  pansies, petunias, snapdragons and many others.  She had a second garden at the family cottage up north of Alexandria Bay, NY in the 1000 islands. The flowers were in whiskey type barrels at the entrance to the front porch.  She was always happy to tell me the name of any flowers we saw.  My favorite up at the cottage was the wild snapdragons which were everywhere along the privet road.  An especially fun activity for me was walking up the hill with my father.  As I was coming back down with snapdragons.Grandma always put them in a glass on the kitchen table.

Gemstones

I sell rocks! Do you know a jewelry designer or small local Jewelry store?  As a lapidary,  I custom cut my own gemstones.  There are many one of a kind cabochons I sell both retail and wholesale.  Please feel free to contact me if you have a friend with a shop who uses one of a kind gemstones. .  The rocks I sell are available uncut as slabs for those who enjoy the lapidary work as I do.  Always happy to talk about rocks, gemstones and lapidary passion.  Links at the end of this post.

Challenges

As we move into the the third month of the Covid 19 pandemic here in my state I feel a bit unsettled . As an artist, I feel the isolation and the difficulty of how this is affecting so many in the USA. When will it end, I often ask myself.  The unprecedented way the federal government is handling this pandemic is appalling. I am proud to be in new York state because of the fantastic leader we have in governor Cuomo.  His leadership is an example of what we want to see in a time of crisis like this.  He has created partnerships with other states and together they are making decisions which will benefit the greater good of all those in the north eastern USA.  I am reminded of the feelings I had before & during my recovery after  my knee reconstruction 5 years ago.  The main difference is I felt the outcome was certain as long as focused on & worked my PT(physical therapy) daily.  To thrive we must focus on what we can control and the positive things we are learning daily.  We will survive this and we will be educated on what needs to be done the next time we face a crisis.  Stay strong, stay home, flatten the curve &  use your favorite video app on your phone or computer to stay connected with your family at this time.

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 In NY OMH Emotional Support Helpline: 1-844-863-9314

  help:https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/covid-19-resources.html

May the spring season bring new growth and life into your world. 

Garden Visitors in my Backyard

My garden has two visitors every year.  depending on their mood we may see them infrequently or often.  The mallard & his mate stop by usually 2-4 times and eat the tadpoles in my pool cover.  I guess being their snack stop is a good thing.

As a lapidary & jewelry designer I am inspired by the visitors and look forward to seeing them. The deep green of the mallard reminds me of one of my favorite gemstones, kambaba jasper.  It is seen here in this necklace set in sterling silver, Seeds of Kambaba.  Yes there are several names for many gemstones.  This is the name I prefer for this stunning gem. Want a special Mother's Day gift,  please reach out.  I have an extensive inventory.

Before on left, action on right side

Our second visitor is more of a resident. She lives under my in ground pool.  She is a cottontail rabbit.Amazing  has had a litter each year that we have seen for the past 5 years.  We were lucky enough to see two of the babies about two weeks ago. One was bolder than the other.  The  shy baby seems to stay in the backyard and runs for cover frequently.  Because of how tiny she is, often we do not see her.   I managed to get these  pics  on the pond walkway last Friday. Rabbits blend in easily as shown here.



Remember, for every $100 you spend at a local business,  $68 stay in the community.  We are in this together..

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My shop:  Panda Wear Website

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Stay strong and know there are people if you need to talk.
 In NY OMH Emotional Support Helpline: 1-844-863-9314

more help:https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/covid-19-resources.html

stay safe, flatten the cute, stay home during this cover 19 pandemic.

May Day 2020

The Calendar say it is May Day 2020.  Definition form Wikipedia for those unfamiliar with the celebration of spring on May Day:  May Day is a public holiday usually celebrated on May 1 or the first Monday of may.  It is an ancient festival of Spring and  current traditional spring holiday in many European cultures.  Dances, singing & cake are usually part of the festivities.You can read more here:  May Day details

This is temporary art I found in Taughannock Falls State Park in 2018.  It feels perfect for May Day today.

 The weeping cherry tree in my front yard.  As an avid gardener, I feel the change to spring strongly.  Especially this year with all the changes we have had to endure. It is painful to have to offer condolences from a distance.  Staying safe is vital to our recovery form this pandemic.

What we are dealing with is not forever.  We will get through this together and be wiser.  Please remember to be kind as you practice social distance and wear your PPE to go for a walk or go grocery shopping.  Stay strong and know there are people if you need to talk.  in NY OMH Emotional Support Helpline: 1-844-863-9314 more here:https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/covid-19-resources.html

Time seems to move at a difference speed.  My last public event was Dance Flurry in Saratoga Springs Valentine's Day weekend, 2 months ago.  Banner over the stage in the room the vendors were in at right.  The BIG thing I will remember is the LOVE & TOGETHERNESS & ACCEPTANCE I felt at the event.  It was a phenomenal event to be part of and I hope t be able to attend next year.  Some of the participants only see each other at this event once a year.

Remember Mother's Day is one week away. As a small business owner I know how difficult it is at this time.  As a women owner business it is challenging to generate the income necessary to keep the business afloat.  We are counting our community to support all local business. 

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

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My shop:  Panda Wear Website

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Special orders welcome.