lulu
Roughly 11 miles from home down a curvy road leading to the woods where the only sounds are bird songs is a special place.
Arriving at this little cottage slows my heart and calms my spirit.
I love walking beneath the arbor where the sweet smell of roses perfumes the air.
All around is a profusion of colorful blooms that last until leaves fall and there is a hint of frost.
They are tended by the same loving hands that know all the secrets of my body.
Carrying outside images in my head, I enter the cottage, take the stairs to the second level and nestle on the massage table beneath a light cover. I close my eyes and a peacefulness washes over me as I await the touch of those hands.
As they begin their work relieving the tightness and tension of muscle and joints, my mind stills.
I breathe. I sometimes cry softly when I remember my brother or a friend or wonder how to resolve a troubling brokenness that from time to time occurs in the family. The hands stroke my hair with understanding.
Two hours fly by and when they are over I am renewed and so appreciative of those tender loving hands that exist in this very special place.
i so appreciate your visit and the comments you leave behind
Changing houses takes a little time to settle in, but there is one thing that has priority, and I don’t mean unpacking suitcases or going to the grocery. I mean getting the porch ready for the hours we spend there.
The porch is where we often start our day enjoying morning coffee
and watching the lobster boats heading out for or returning from the day’s work.
It is where we relax with a book,
observe the birds that come to the feeder
enjoy time with friends and family
and have afternoon tini time.
Once the furniture is in place, the next step is to go to the nursery to replenish the potted plants that did not make it through the winter.
Now all is done and that means I can sit and rock. 
One thing that has not changed is the Pike Place Market. 
Throngs of people crowd the area, many there out of curiosity and some actually trying to shop.
Now, I’ve been to farmers markets in many different places, but the Seattle market may be among the most interesting. Fresh seafood is a specialty, and its fishy smell permeates the market.
There are foodstuffs of every kind from baked goods to pasta 
There is a section for arts and crafts, and if all the wandering makes you hungry there are a number of restaurants and food vendors inside the market.
No where have I ever seen so many flowers. It was hard to pick favorites with such an abundance of choices.
Selecting was made easier by the women behind the flowers who combined beautiful blooms into works of art. From what I observed, many folks had a hard time resisting their creations.
Being surrounded by so much temptation, it was impossible not to indulge in a few things which made for a most enjoyable tini time on our hotel’s rooftop sitting area. 
From there we could take in all the action below us, watch the ferris wheel go round and round and take in the comings and going of cargo ships and huge cruise liners. Somehow I enjoyed that as much as being surrounded by mass humanity.
You never know what is going to inspire a tablescape. This one started with orchids which were thoughtful gifts deserving special attention. 
Orchids made me think of Thailand where the markets literally had bags stuffed full with purple, pink and white blooms. That thought led me to choose this beautiful handwoven silk table runner that was made in Bangkok. Thanks to Jim Thompson, the weaving as a cottage industry is alive and well there.
The runner paired nicely with placemats purchased from a street vendor in that same city. I love finding things for the table that are light and take little suitcase space when I travel.
Because it is spring, a season of gardens bursting with color, these dishes that once belonged to my mother-in-law seemed a nice complement all the pink tones. According to the writing on the back, they were handpainted by a woman named Ernestine in Salerno, Italy. I believe they were sent home by a soldier husband during World War II. I would love to know the whole story.
OK, Thailand and Italy are covered, so let’s go with napkins from a Saigon market. Each little flower is hand embroidered. In addition to this table showcasing pieces gathered from my travels, it also confirms my attraction to all things hand done.
All that is left to complete the table is glasses, and they, too, have a story. I don’t know where they are from, but they belonged to a special friend’s grandmother. My friend thought I would use them more than she and gave them to me. She was not wrong, and the glasses with their wonderful texture are much used.
So many of my tables are filled with special memories of people and places. This one, with its international flair, is especially so as with each piece my mind wandered to another place and the experiences had there. 
I can’t think of a place where there is more color and texture than at a farmers market.
The produce, the flowers combine to make me want one of everything which means I always come home with more than I need.
This time the market buys provided inspiration for a table. It was a little challenging getting the carrots through the neck of the bottle until I found just the right size.
With the centerpiece of flowers and vegetables in place, it was easy to choose the rest. 
I had planned on using the black plates with the harlequin bowls, but one plate was missing….how does that happen? 
The solution was to do half of the place settings in reverse which added a touch of the unexpected.
As I added glassware to the table, I remembered the little Mason jars which I use for the kid drinks at tini time. Off went the chosen water glasses to be replaced by the jars. 
This table was such fun to create, and as I stood back and looked at it it dawned on me that inspiration can come from anywhere. You just have to be open to the suggestions.
A friend very excited about her newly acquired chickens couldn’t wait to show them off.
I must say her feathered friends are being treated royally and claim as home a specially built coop.
I didn’t catch it at first, but check out the name. That is so my friend!
As entertaining as her new beauties were, it was impossible not to let the eye be distracted by the drama of nature that was all around.
Every growing thing looked like it was on steroids which was attributed to fish emulsion. I’m thinking that is a must for next year’s garden.
Complementing nature’s bounty was the magic of the fog wafting in from the water.
Its quiet presence is a thing of wonder,
to say nothing about how its veiled mystery enhances color.
At every turn there were breathtaking vignettes with an astounding variety of color and texture. Remembering that a short time ago there was nothing more than grass between the house and the shore makes all this bounty even more remarkable.
I think you will agree that it would be very easy to spend hours right here listening to the sound of the sea, watching the fog come and go, experiencing the quiet beauty of nature and keeping company with the chickens that are sure to come calling.
It just dawned on me that Valentine’s is a few days away. To escape the crowds and avoid the hassle of finding a place to eat without a reservation, I started years ago making that a special evening at home for which the hubby is most grateful.
This year that won’t happen as I’m not quite ready for kitchen duty, but let’s take a look back at tables that helped make the Valentine meal special.
Most years we’ve eaten at what we call the big table. After all, it is a special evening.
Sometimes the table has a touch of elegance, 
and Valentine’s is a perfect time to bring out those pieces associated with people I love.
More often than not the table is playful with those mixed patterns and colors I so like.
On those February evenings when the weather is spring like and dove songs fill the air, we take advantage and eat on the screen porch, always a treat.
No matter where we eat or how the table is set, flowers help make it special
and none are more special than the bouquet I get each year from the hubby.