Keeping Summer Entertaining Simple

This past weekend my husband and I hosted a barbeque for his side of the family to celebrate a couple of birthdays as well as to say farewell to a family member who is relocating to Ottawa.
With approximately a dozen people expected, my goal as always was to try to keep it simple!

At some point during the weekend, my husband brought out this old family photo of his grandparents hosting a summer meal in front of their farmhouse. 

A simple outdoor summer meal circa 1930's

Studying it I was taken with how simple, elegant and relaxed the scene looks.   A bunch of black-eyed-susans gathered up in a glass vase, the wooden chairs, the pastoral backdrop of country fences and fields.  How beautiful and serene his grandmother looks (far right).

I tucked the photo under a fridge magnet to remind myself of what really matters when bringing together family and friends for an easy summer meal.  I let myself take several short-cuts and crossed a few things off the to-do list: weeding and edging all the gardens, washing the kitchen and bathroom floors (really....people will be traipsing in and out with shoes on anyhow).  I kept the menu simple, (marinated chicken breasts, a green salad, a pasta salad and a rice dish with birthday cake and ice cream for dessert) used disposable plates and serviettes and except for barbequing the meat, everything was prepared ahead of time. 

It turned out to be a relaxing evening.  I had lots of time to sit and chat with the adults and to run about the garden with our grand-daughter picking leaves and floating them in the birth bath, playing with the garden hose and generally being silly.

Given that it was a Sunday, our guests left around eight-thirty and by nightfall my husband and I had dismantled the tables, relocated the chairs and with some help from our daughter (thank you!!) all the dishes were done.  Remembering that what lasts are the connections, the feeling welcomed and sharing time together, it is easier to let go of our need to overwork the details and ourselves. 


Thank you for stopping by My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a simple summer day,

Sandra

The Sanctuary of the Garden

Due to a last minute change in itinerary, I found myself in the luxurious situation of having no scheduled plans for this morning.  I made myself a second cup of tea and with camera in hand did a mini-tour of the garden.

What a sanctuary my garden has become, with its mature trees and shrubs we enjoy complete privacy and this being a weekday morning all was tranquil and serene.  Aside from dodging spider webs (yuck!) it is a peaceful oasis of colour and beauty.


Impatience



Spirea

Whimsical Garden Door

A number of years ago we salvaged this door and I painted flowers and  greenery on both the upper and lower panels.  This summer it found a home in the garden creating a touch of whimsy.

Hydrangea

 A small water feature with four camera-shy goldfish is a soothing spot to sit and finish my tea. 



A water feature is a soothing sight and sound in a garden.



How much wiser I would be to embrace more of the moments between scheduled activities and really savour them, for how quickly these warm summer days will blend into the cool days of autumn and then the cold crisp days of winter. 

It's easy for me to fall into the trap of doing, moving and looking about for ways to be productive.   I grew up believing lazy was a four-letter word.  While there are miles between lazy and unhurried, relaxed and mindful, I still find it difficult to let up on the accelerator of my life and enjoy the scenery, to stop and see the sights and sounds, to stop and smell the proverbial roses.

To that end I will allow myself the unhurried pleasure of soaking up the beauty of my garden more often, I will commit to walk softly, to look and to see the beauty, to listen to the birds, to watch those spiders (yuck) spinning so beautifully.  And to more fully appreciate the freedom that is mine.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you an unhurried day,

Sandra

Women's Summer Studio 2012

This week the Women's Summer Studio was in full swing. I could not have been happier watching the women who attended creating, experimenting, sharing ideas and painting....such a beautiful collection of women and their creative expressions.

Some of the work is minutely detailed, others are bursts of wild colours and still others, deep expressions of emotion, moved me to tears. I am delighted to see new artists emerging, women who are painting for the first time and loving it. To their amazement they can paint and paint beautifully.

I've always felt that the "Art World" would have us believe the lie that only some of us can paint. They shroud the Artist in mystery attempting to create a holy reverence for this Creative Being. We are expected to hover through the gallery speaking in hushed voices ... careful... you are walking on holy ground.

Yes, creating is a holy activity but like prayer, song and dance it isn't reserved for a select few. We used to believe that we needed a high priest to speak to God on our behalf, now we know that we all have direct access to a loving, inclusive God.

Likewise the visual arts are for everyone and perhaps most especially for those who have been told they can't draw, that they aren't creative, that they have no sense of colour or composition or some such nonsense.

I am delighted and honoured to be able to watch the ideas and emotions of these painters unfurl and find expression on paper and canvas. Thank you to each of the participating artists for allowing me to be a fellow sojourner on your creative journey.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a creative day,

Sandra

Big League Decluttering

I'm on a decluttering high, intoxicated with the feeling of freedom of having eliminated several big items from our home.

 In the past six weeks we've sold two directors chairs, an antique wall mounted telephone, our 4' x 8' oak billiards table, given away a large china cabinet to a very loving family and gotten rid of the two loveseats from our living room.

"What will you sit on?" my mother-in-law queried. Sit? Who has time to sit when there's so much fun to be had decluttering? Okay that isn't quite accurate, let me explain. My (ever wise) husband and I were re-evaluating our home. We tossed around questions like:

• What do we need to be able to do in the spaces (rooms) of our home?
• Are we really fully using what we currently have?
• Is there a better use for that space?
• Is there anything that we need to be able to do that we cannot currently do because of space limitations?

We tried to forget the labels that were currently attached to the rooms (bedroom/living room) and keep our minds open about what certain rooms could be and how they could better serve us.

The Living Room

For a few years I had been dreaming of finding/buying/renting a commercial space where women could come and be creative and be pampered at the same time. Women's Summer Studio It seemed that every time I made an enquiry about a building that was for sale, there was already an accepted offer on it. It happened often enough that I wondered if I was heading in the wrong direction.

My husband suggested turning our main living area into a big art studio. I was really, really lukewarm about the idea, "But it’s our living room." I protested. "Yes", he agreed, "and the dogs sit on the furniture more than we do. Besides its big and light filled and has high ceilings and big windows...."

And that is what happened to the loveseats.... out they went.

The Billiard Table

We've had a very lovely oak billiard table in our family room for ten years. When our children were teens it got used quite often. But recently, with our children grown and having homes of their own, the table was seldom used.

What we found we were needing however was a larger dining area. Without a formal dining room and with an ever expanding family, dinners in the kitchen were becoming crowded. What if we sold the pool table and turned the family room, which is a few steps away from the kitchen into a dining room? Hmm, there's a thought ....but we didn't actually have dining room furniture.

But sometimes the universe just seems to conspire to make your dreams reality. It just happened that my cousin was moving; in her attic was a lovely dining room set that had belonged to her parents, complete with six chairs and a hutch. Perfect.

In came a dining room set.... out went the billiards table.

The Kitchen

Yes, we still have a kitchen but decided that a large china cabinet was taking up too much space, if not in reality then at least visually. My mom had loved that piece from the day we brought it home. We called my parents would they be able to take it? Yes. Wonderful. The china cabinet moved across town.

Remembering that space is just that space.... it's very liberating to imagine how different areas of our homes may be able to better serve our needs and our lifestyle.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you an uncluttered day,
Sandra

Painterly Play

You may remember this landscape that I had posted on my gallery blog a few months ago.  I began to get the urge to do something with it earlier this week.

 I started by changing the colour of the sky, the colour in the water, then suddenly with big sweeping gestures my hand took over and completely obliterated any trace of landscape.

"Please"
30" x 40" Acrylic and Collage on Canvas
S. King-Allikas

It goes like that sometimes.  When I give my artist brain free range it just takes the paintings where it wants them to go.  My logical brain tries to put up a fight, "Oh no, not those circles again, not that turquoise, really Sandra, what's the problem with painting a nice sensible landscape? Do you hear me? Hello?"

Oh well, as the saying goes, "You cannot please everyone.", apparently not even "everyone" who lives on the inside of my head.

Detail from "Please"

Detail from "Please"

I love the colours of this piece and the way the layers (and layers, and layers) of paint and collage give the painting a real depth and how there are so many discoveries to be made.   It's fun to let my inner artist play uncensored. 


Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a day full of uncensored fun,

Sandra

"Hey! That's my blankie!"

This past week both of my daughters commented on how much friendlier our dog, Zack, has been recently.  I hadn't really noticed but it's true. 

It used to be that Zack wasn't really happy about visitors, he wasn't even that thrilled with pedestrians using the sidewalk in front of our home.  When company arrived he had a habit of making them feel unwelcome and then collecting his blankie and pink elephant toy and retreating to a closet or under a piece of furniture.  Zack's past is a little sketchy.  We adopted him last year when he was already seven years old, so we cut him a little slack and for the most part try to be accepting of his neurosis. 

This week I had quite a few artists in for the Women's Summer Studio and I was apprehensive about Zack's normally unwelcoming attitude.  I planned to have him hang out downstairs and had placed his blanket and pink elephant there to make him feel more at home.

Long story short: it didn't work.  So Zack has ended up staying with the women in the studio and has been really quite a little gentleman; surprisingly so.  With his tail wagging and nuzzling he has been quite a good host. 

It made me wonder then, when my daughters mentioned his improved attitude, what had changed.  I think I found the answer this morning on the way to the laundry room, there, where he couldn't get to them, were his blanket and favourite toy. 

Do you think that because he hasn't had access to his prized possessions for over a week that he is experiencing a new found freedom and joy?  Now that he isn't concerned with protecting his "stuff" is he able to enjoy the people that visit?  Perhaps he no longer sees them as a threat and can relax and live in the moment without wondering, "Does he plan on stealing my blankie?"

A new relaxed Zack

When we allow our possession to take priority over enjoying and appreciating the people in our lives, you could say it's a case of the tail wagging the dog.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today,

Wishing you the freedom to enjoy what really matters,

Sandra

The Beauty of Less

For the past week or so I've been appreciating the beauty of all the varieties of peonies blooming about our neighbourhood; shurbs heavy laden with the giant blossoms ranging from pure white to vibrant fushia. 

My own peony plant only produced a single blossom this year.  In my plant's defense I should have planted it in a sunnier location in better soil. Yet, the delicate feathery petals have an ethereal quality, like angel's wings.  I snapped several photos of my solitary blossom, really appreciating it.

Sometimes I get caught up with wanting more, it doesn't happen as often as it once did, but I can still be lured into wanting more than I have or that I need.  Like everyone, I have my areas of weakness that cause me to linger and admire and momentarily rationalize that I am entitled to: "a new..", "another...", "a nicer..."  When in reality the only thing I really need is to appreciate what I already have.

The beauty of the single peony bloom in my garden is a reminder that one is often all I need. 

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today,

My wish for you is that today is one lovely day,

Sandra