The Wonderful and The Wired

Excuse me for the week-long absence, but over here in the southwest, I'm still wrist-deep in my sandy, alkaline soil.

It's late spring, and the second patch of garden I started this year is sprouting pesky couch grass all over. I spend hours and hours pulling them out! One of the reasons I garden is that it teaches my usually impatient spirit to calm down. Right now, there really is nothing to be done but wait. Hopefully, by next spring, I would have eliminated all the invasive roots and the Frankenia laevis I installed as ground cover would have taken over.

For the moment, taking these photos makes it worth all the trouble. Well, almost. My knees care nothing for photography and are still complaining...

A pink rose from a shrub that reaches just past my mid-calf.

My potted alliums.

The tiny flower of a genet bush.

One of the poppies that sprout wild all over the property and that we
take care not to mow. "Coquelicot" is still one of my favorite French C words.
The giddiness and gaudiness of the sound suit the flower perfectly!

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Meanwhile, e-mail from one of my favorite Etsy artists, Claire Rougerie of De Beaux Souvenirs, informed me that her website is up.

I find that there's something magical about Claire's creations, which are made from wire and found vintage objects. Something rough but at the same time quite dainty there. I am enamored with the unexpected mix! One of my favorites is this little owl, La Reine des Bois:

Photo by De Beaux Souvenirs

Very pretty, isn't she?

To see the real thing: If you'll be finding yourself taking a little vacation in the west of France any time from June to September, her atelier will be open in Curçay Sur Dive.