Sunset Garden

Summer seems to have really truly arrived. Last night I enjoyed a glorious evening on my deck watching the sun slowly sink behind the mountains. I spent the day treasure hunting at yard sales and literally buying all the plants and vegetables I could carry at the Farmers Market.

We are trying to grow some things on the deck this summer. So far we have lots of lettuce, some mint, a little pepper plant, and a tiny lemon tree. I'm hoping to add some tomatoes, cilantro, and more herbs.

Gardening was never much of an interest to me for most of my life, but I think that roof top container gardening is an excellent way to get started. It seems so manageable. So far we have only had about two very modest salads from our own plants, but it was so exciting to eat something we had been tending ourselves.

My Mom kept amazing gardens as I was growing up and I'm finally able to really appreciate all of her amazing skills. She would grow things, can, make jam, dry fruit, and even make her own pickles! This year we are planning to make jam together and I'm really looking forward to it. Homemade jam with her homemade bread is absolute heaven.

Polaroid Summer

Summer is ever so slowly warming the cool damp corners of my world. I've been playing around with Poladroid again... I think there is something about summer (or perhaps only the longing for it) that makes me want to see everything from a hazy polaroid point of view....

That fantastic abandoned (haunted?) house is one of the many things I adore about my new neighborhood. How I want to sneak in and explore...

Happy First Day of Summer!

Untitled

Róisín at Child of Danu linked to THIS POST the other day and I truly hope you will take a minute or two to read it.

I thought it was both beautiful and heart breaking. I was trying to think of way I might contribute and knew that there are many amazing artists among the readers here and hoped that at least by sharing, perhaps some of you might be able able to send some beauty to a fellow human in need.

Thank you.

On Blogging

One day shy of letting a month pass by without a word here. Wow. Where have I been? 

Well... In and out that ever-foreboding "rut"; here and there and everywhere. 

I turned 30, I incessantly questioned my life choices, I went to a piano bar for the first time, I watched my fella receive his Bachelor's in Environmental Science, I saw my nephew graduate from high school, I had a day-long hard core obsession with getting a tree tattooed on my shoulder blade, I became an independent contractor for a second little job, I tried to finish moving in, I drank wine on my deck, I took walks, I bought plants from the Farmers Market, I read all about making soap, I "camped" in a luxurious canvas tent on the San Juan Islands, I dreamed about living in a tree house, I sang in the car, and listened to a lot of new music.

I've missed posting here. I've had so much that I have wanted to write about, but somehow couldn't find the time or the enthusiasm to just type it out. I've been deeply contemplating this blog- what I want from it personaly and what it is important for me to say here. I've considered closing it altogether and heading off somewhere else. Somtimes I feel like there is a different direction I want to take my blogging path and I'm not sure Gypsea Tree is the place. I don't know yet... For the most part I have decided to try and put in a very concerted effort here for the next few weeks and see how it all works out. 

I believe most of you who read here are all bloggers yourself. I think I'm fairly accurate in saying that many of us go through these little "blog crisis"? Sometimes I try to analyze what this means. (because I'm like this...) I think that perhaps what it comes down to is finding the balance of freedom of expression and not getting to caught up in this crazy culture of over-sharing. For the most part, I often feel that I don't publish many of the things I want to talk about because I don't know who is reading this anymore. When I started blogging years ago, I would at times send out emails with my blog address, link it to the Etsy shop, link it to facebook, who knows where else... It makes me a little uneasy for many reasons (all a little silly, but still things that I consider before hitting that "publish" button) Despite the fact that I can be very opinionated at times, I don't want to offend. I don't want to say something stupid I will later regret. I don't want people leaving me mean comments. (the last part is terribly silly, but also honest)

Do any of you feel this way when you blog? Do you write with a certain audience in mind? Are there certain people that if you felt they might be reading your blog, would you censor yourself in some way?

I would really love to hear thoughts on this.

Until then- the plan is to be back soon...

{image via Tumblr}