Rose Society of Saddleback Valley Elegant and Enchanting- Part IV

Forever Young: The gardens of Patricia and Steve Buice enchant with stories abounding with what a life well-lived looks like. 

If you spent 4th grade in the California classroom you studied missions. Remember building a model of sugar cube "adobe". This rustic representation of our heritage in a rusted wheelbarrow rates an A++. 

Why should the inside dining room have all the decorative fun? The blessing of the Southern California region is how much time we can spend out-doors. Objects of art do not have to be expensive to be full of memories.  See them and dream. 

When my soul departs,  I would not mind if my remains were set in a ginger jar and positioned to watch over the garden. 

What makes Steve and Patricia's recessed entry so delightfully restful? Soft layers of design elements executed with the care of a traditional inside room. Colorful tile outlines the point of entry to the home. 

  

The expanse of a bare wall is tamed with a trio of art. A soft pad on the seat offers a place to put your feet up or a package beneath. Ferns. Fountain. A tracery of vines. 

Not just the portal for entry to their home- this is a place for private contemplation.  

Guests to the garden on the day of the tour were side yard guests, passing plump plantings of  sunshine  yellow iris then under the metal arch covered with roses set to shower their petals. 

Just past the gate, pet chickens welcome visitors. In a serious world it is important to find  triggers to childlike joy. To keep little farm animals makes one feel like living in a storybook farm. 

Nearby, a tea set is at ready for a party for two.  This is just one of many ideas I am saving up for when my granddaughter toddles under her own power):-  

Patricia shared that the late Bea Grow was a mentor to the couple. The doyenne of Orange County gardeners taught that when making a choice- "Go for the wow." In this case, with splashes of deepest blue. 

Little mice scampering between chunks of slag glass add just the right sense of humor. 

Ripe strawberries hanging off a a classic cement potted up  offer delicious contrast. 

Design note: the ancient appearance of the pot bridges the modernity of  the furniture to the many vintage elements of the garden. This is much more inviting than if an end table matching the set defined the furniture arrangement's outer edge.

If this garden had just this fountain, it would be enough. Lucky for us- there is still more. 

The lawn was as it should be, lush and large enough to play in. To lay on staring up at the stars then rollover to pick between all the shades of green; hunting for snails and other crawly and flying things. 

Fairies live in this garden. This one proudly showing off his fresh lilliputian harvest. 

Just to the side of the fairy's post is this lounge chair Patricia rescued from a garage sale. Steve reinforced it with rebar, stretching landscape fabric over the horizontal frame- forming the cushion on which his wife quilted a coverlet of moss and ivy. 

Shade is from above. At night- can you imagine the romance these vintage hanging lamps sourced from e-Bay have seen? Hubba. Hubba):- 

Steve explains to my friend, Marilyn Bowery, how he built the platform to the tree house from used lumber he was given in 1986. He is pointing up to where the little ice-cream soda style chair his daughter sat in when she was a sapling and the tree was not much taller than the railed platform. As the tree grew, they let the branches carry the chair to where it marks how far upwards the journey in life has carried them. 

Nature and art. This magic little scene is just below the bridge leading to the tree house. It seems a good spot to rest. Something a garden should have lots of are places to rest the eye. To contemplate that the real world is not just work and trouble. The real world is ripe with love and goodness. If we only care enough to look. To create. To enjoy. To give thanks for. 

Until we meet again, thank you for all YOU do to make the world more beautiful.

Bat Shit ~Rebirth ~ Artistic Expression

Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.

- Danny Kaye

It was planned as a romantic end to a day moving to their dream home in Diamond Bar. After a long day of unpacking, Cathy's husband met her in their master bedroom suite, where she settled in to what else- a love seat. Freshly bathed, Ed carried up the stairs a silver tray with 2 crystal glasses and a favorite sherry. 

It was near dusk. The stereo was tuned to soft music, Ed opened the French doors leading to their balcony. He massaged Cathy's shoulders. The fresh air and sherry worked in concert to let the massage ramp towards some marital bliss.  Ed began to tell Cathy how much he loved her, when in flew the bats.

According to Dirt Works, which sells bat poop (i.e., guano) "Many civilizations have used guano as a soil amendment and considered it sacred, so much so that disturbing rookeries was once a crime punishable by death. Fortunately, you can buy Bat Guano from us and only good things will happen when you do."

It took awhile for the new butterfly to shake its wings out to fly

Earlier in the month I watched the striped caterpillar park on this post. Soon, a green acorn shaped chrysalis was glued in its place. Some days later it turned brown and ugly- like a tumorous growth.  Just when I wondered if a butterfly died en utero, somehow this beautiful winged wonder worked its way out of the encasement.

Not strong enough to fly, I gently lifted it to cradle in soft planting until it flew away.

The actual pattern with our garden features

Enlarging the photo of the inspiration piece 400 % rendered a pattern to manipulate for the stained glass insert in the dutch door. Personalizing with a replica of our Victorian bird feeder, changing the birds to western US species and colorizing closer to our personal vision of paradise. 

As this is a collabortive piece to be displayed in our home,  I gave my husband the final thumbs up on the color, texture and light qualities of the glass selected. 

It didn't used to be this way in our home. My husband has always been an intensely busy man. For many years he spent more time with his suitcase than with his recliner. During those years I made lots of arbitrary decisions. My intent was to smooth things out for him. Turned out this was exactly the wrong thing to do if a man is to feel important to his wife. 

Fortunately, I learned to use some discernment in decision-making.   Young brides, I am not saying this is an easier process- however, the results are richer. 

The artistic use of glass enriches a humble setting 

It was probably 50 years ago, before Knott's Berry Farm had a real roller coaster, charged for parking or admission. This stained glass window in Knott's Chicken Diner  was the seed that grew into a love of windows adorned with stained glass. There is something comforting to see these windows still in place all these years later.

The choir of Mt Calvary Lutheran Church, Diamond Bar

The purpose of life's downturns may be to keep us humble. To keep us aware. To remember to include God as collaborator of how our lives are painted. It has been so long since Gerry and I were both in church at the same time, I'm glad the topic of the sermon was "The world is going to end" with our presence was used as proof. 

The choir sang Martin Luther's "A Mighty Fortress is Our God. " The battle hymn of the reformation still inspires strength in chords nearly 500 years after it was first sung. 

Never doubt the power of words and music. From  his unimaginable personal pain, Martin Luther could not have imagined the lasting impact of his artistic expression. 

Presence- the next supermodel~ changing seasons

"Presence is more than just being there.”

~Malcomb S. Forbes

Abby wearing Nikibiki

Meet Abigail Plunk. Accomplished horsewoman, tennis player and now model. My niece. 

At 17, she shares with Taylor Swift and Jenifer Aniston what the popular culture calls the "It" factor. I call it "presence".  Abby rocks everything she wears, but particularly little black dresses.

I need to put away some bottles of Little Black Dress wine to celebrate when she turns 21. James Beard nominee Elliot Essman wrote a wonderful review of the line.

Wherever her path in life takes Abby,  I don't see "our little" miss black dress growing up to live the life of Maxine. Unless she chooses.  

Maxine offers another face to the definition of presence. Crabby people can visit our heroine's fan page on  Facebook.

The tree. The bench. The bird feeder. They add their own kind of presence to the garden. I thought about moving the bench this week- that would be so wrong- the corner of the yard would be naked without it.

In the hollowness of a landscape cloaked in darkness, a single cluster of yellow roses exudes presence  She came in a box from Jackson-Perkins, with no name to call her by.  She represents the people who pass through our lives in dark times. Even if we do not know their names , that does not erase the beauty of their presence when God sent them our way.



The presence of a California poppy captured by Gene Sasse

Wednesday, both cars were scrubbed and polished. Thursday it rained. 8 drops of water on my car, 3 on Gerry's.  It was heaven's early warning system, a clarion call for change of garden duties. Within a week, the weather people are promising a genuine soaking.

Anyone with sunshine and empty dirt, it is time to round up some wildflower seeds, spread them and if the birds don't eat all the offering, when the blooms burst it will feel as if  magic is rising. But we know. Magic is not commanded from thin air. It requires action. 

Small Improvements-

An ode to our neighbors, this sign is half homemade.

"Sometimes, the smallest improvement to our lives can make the biggest difference."

~Alexandra Stoddard 

Chuck and Sandra Price have a grownups play yard. Outfitted to live in year round staycation, they live next door.  

I am a certifiable readaholic. I read everything, and have a special love of signage  Spotting the tin insert with the words "Resort and Spa Next Door" on a shopping expedition, of course it had to come home with me. 

It wasn't perfect until last week when my husband shared his toys- oops, tools- with me.

A piece of scrap redwood, a $2.00 bottle of  Alizarin Crimson America acrylic paint- and a lesson in how to use a band saw, scroll saw and oscillating spindle saw- and the humorous ode to my next door neighbors is complete .

"My" shed, built one lesson at a time.

Mounted high on my shed, it is a small improvement that lifted my spirits yesterday when it was  102° F with humidity in the upper 40 percentile.  What my husband describes as "a nice spring day in Florida" tips  into misery-ometer territory for us weather-wimpy types. 

For newer readers- here are a couple images of the shed that is my pride and joy.  

It all began when our children were young enough to think it was cool to be paid in Chuck E Cheese Pizza. 

My husband's tools were limited to a circular saw, a hammer and an engineer's attitude that everything is possible.  

When Diamond Bar-ians get to remodeling, there is some some really cool dumpster diving around town.  All you need is a few moments without any pride):-

A cast off needing to be rescued, reused and recycled- this little corner window was lifted from where it lay next to a trash can.

It became the impetus for my shed. 

I was thinking of the playhouse I never had. Dreaming of a trip to Lowes or Home Depot to retrofit a shed-kit. 

My husband was thinking -  " I can do it myself."  He thought it would be fine wood storage for his burgeoning he-man hobby. If he thought it was a way to get tools free of added cost- oh, well. I have my shed and he got more tools from this project.

  

When we considered moving mother in with us, we teased her this would be her room.

The finial added to birdhouse made a pediment that set the architectural character.

If the stained glass transom window had been installed at the time, we might have found her with her bags and walker parked at the doorstep.

After her death, the window was Christened "Ethel's Window" in honor of my mother

The solar-lit panel makes an elegant statement after dark- art cum nightlight on steroids.  

2x4 by 2x4, brick by brick, lace covering windows, one small improvement at a time, this little structure changed me as it was changed.  Building it, my husband learned the economic advantages of kits over custom construction. Sheds of our own are a luxury beyond description. 

Such are the lessons and synergy in life.

P.S.- Thank you Chuck E. Cheese for the use of the little picture. 

Eating in the Garden. Observations

'Cinco de Mayo' Rose in semi-siesta state from weekend heat

"Observe how all things are continually being born of change; teach yourself to see that Nature's highest happiness lies in changing the things that are, and forming new things after their kind. "                                                                         

-Marcus Aurelius

We need a "Bunny Crossing" sign before the walk is extended to the gate

Peer closely at the edge of where the stone path ends at the lawn. There are two bunny rabbits using the brick edging as their track. The cottontails are so tame, I am considering setting up a lawn chair and see if they won't come eat a carrot out of my hand.

If bunny buck teeth mistook a finger for food, it couldn't be any worse than when the horse bit me when I offered it a carrot.  The hardest part of that was waiting for the doctor to stop laughing long enough to order the tetanus shot.

Bunny checking out what is on our plates

The bunnies aren't the only ones eating in the garden, so are we.

July 26, Nikkipolani posted the most seductive recipe with photos for  French toast baked in honey-pecan sauce. Reading her directions, I just knew chunks of fresh dieced peaches packed in with the sourdough bread just before baking was just the ticket. 

Served upside down-cake style, the only thing I would do differently next time is splash a jigger of rum into the brown sugar, honey and syrup  mixture. I would bring this all to a boil before adding to the pan. The texture and flavor would be worthy of canonization into  the recipe hall of fame.  

Presented with sausage patties and eggs over medium, this was a good brunch to set Sunday aside from the rest of the week.

My husband's change in travel plans meant we had the whole weekend together. Daytime he continued to work on the wine cabinet while I played with my stained glass. 

 When we dine, unless we have not dog-loving company, we let our puppies play on the patio. Should they start to wander off, our antennae go up and we gather them back to relative safety of under our table.

Scabbers- Harry Potter's Rat

My Reno was very interested in the barbecue. A tail, not unlike the one on Harry Potter's Scabbers flashed by. Uh-oh.

My hero, not wanting a rat to either bite the dogs or set up home in his Airstream trailer- like stainless steel barbecue vaulted over me to shake out the reservationless  rodent. Who promptly leaped at then under me.

When I stopped screaming, what words did my beloved calm me with....

"Boy, I wish I had a camera for that."

Dogging Romance

Reno is a Master at getting what she wants.

 Dogs... do not ruin their sleep worrying about how to keep the objects they have, and to obtain the objects they have not. There is nothing of value they have to bequeath except their love and their faith.

Eugene O'Neill

Tahoe is Daddy's little Tomboy

It is an unfortunate fact that youngsters at summer camp who are most homesick are those that have dogs at home. Jack Herbert

Elleen Atkins

"No hugging, dear. I'm British. We only show affection to dogs and horses. (Eileen Atkins as Jocelyn Dashwood in What A Girl Wants

As companions, dogs are up the evolutionary scale in romance than many women.  An anonymous writer once penned something I remember goes something like this-


Dogs don't cry to get their way. Dogs love all your friends. Dogs love how you sing.

Dogs don't get upset when you run late. They are excited to see you whenever you show up.

Dogs don't get upset if you call them another dog's name and you can play as rough with them as you want.

Dogs don't mind if you give their offspring away

Anyone can get a good looking dog.


If a dog is gorgeous, other dogs don't hate it


Dogs don't shop. Canines never expect gifts. They have no use for flowers, cards or jewelry


Dogs like it when you leave lots of things on the floor


Dogs never need to examine the relationship


A dog's parents never visit.

Dogs love long car trips. The canine understand that following your instincts is more fun  than asking directions


Dogs don't ask you if their jeans make them look fat.

Dogs understand when you raise your voice to get your point across
Dogs don't worry about germs


Dogs don't care if you've had other dogs. 
You never have to wait for a dog, they're ready to go 24 hours a day


Dogs enjoy heavy petting in public

Dogs can't talk. Or criticize. In fact, when you are totally stupid, they often find it amusing.

Need I say more? If romance seems to be on the wane- think- what would your dog do?