I have a tendency to get so wrapped up in the "Big Picture" that a lot of times I end up missing out on the little things that make life so unique and special. This weekend I decided to focus on the little things, and I ended up falling in love with them all over again.
I really love having plants around the house. I started this obsession my first year of college, and since then have amassed quite a collection. There's a plant on just about every windowsill or piece of furniture in our home, and I like it that way. Some of them are especially important to me, like the christmas cactus that used to belong to my Granny, or the goldfish plant I rooted in college from cuttings from Granny's that used to hang in her kitchen window. It hung above the sideboard that always held a freshly baked cake--usually coconut or apple. They remind me that I inherited her green thumb, as well as a love for cooking wholesome food. This week there were some unexpected surprises from some of my other special plants.
I call this the koi plant, just because it looks a lot like the goldfish, while at the same time being totally different. Salmaan brought me three cuttings of this little guy over a year ago, in a styrophome cup, all the way from Norfolk. One of his supervisors at EVMS had this on his desk, and it was so unique that Salmaan asked if he could bring it home to me. I didn't think it would root, but somehow it did, and these are the first blooms. It's a cousin of the african violet--but I don't know its real name. There are three more blooms coming in.
I've had this guy since college. (He was much, much smaller then).
It's some sort of Japanese succulent, and until now, I was totally unaware that it was a blooming plant. IWhen I first saw these, I thought they were bugs or fungus.
But then I realized they were part of the plant, and upon closer inspection, realized they were coming out all over the place. I'm excited to see what they look like when they bloom!
I've also rediscovered my mandolin. I received her a as a law school graduation present over a year ago, and really haven't picked her up since then. I took a few lessons at first until I realized I didn't have enough time to practice during the Bar. Plus, I felt I could teach myself from a book, which I have started to do. I really love this instrument. She's so gorgeous--both in form and sound. She's a Morgan Monroe MMS-5W. Her name is Lalina. So far I've gotten down "Old Joe Clark", "Angeline the Baker", and "Dance Tonight". If you're interested, there's a great tutorial for "Dance Tonight" here. Plus, Mandolin Cafe is just a great resource in general.
Oh! And I have a simple FO to share--another ballband washcloth, made for a friend.
I love this pattern. So simple, but it never gets boring. Made this out of Peaches 'N' Cream pure cotton, colors are Hot Green and Summer Splash. Knit this on #8 needles, which was so much nicer (I made a set of these previously on #7's, and for some reason they made my hands hurt). Plus I love that it came out a bit larger, so perfect for a face cloth. I'll be gifting this with some of my handmade soap.
Hope she likes it. After all, it's the little things that count, right? Hope you had a good weekend, too.
