combat boots with peasant skirts

2011-12-30T21:21:00.000-08:00

2011-12-30T21:12:00.000-08:00

Downtown Seattle Library. Yes, I know they shouldn't play on the escalator.

Some of Jim's after market pieces.

2011-12-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

Jim and Danny making wind chimes out of Goodwill finds.

2011-12-02T20:26:00.000-08:00

Thankful

2011-11-24T16:08:00.000-08:00

I have no idea...

2011-11-23T13:40:00.001-08:00

Resident Baker.

2011-11-23T13:37:00.000-08:00

Old picture of Jesse

2011-11-18T20:19:00.001-08:00

And so the season begins...

2011-10-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

One twelve year old boy...

2011-10-05T11:08:00.001-07:00

And an old pair of gloves, pop can, metal shears, and glue. Instant cool hand.

One dad, and ingredients for snickerdoodles, equals one 12 year old boy will be happy after school.

We have been married 25 years!

2011-08-16T19:05:00.000-07:00

I was 19, he was 33. No one thought we would make it.

I found a flower shop in the woods today...

2011-08-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

Oh hai, I haz a night gardenz.

2011-08-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

2011-07-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

The old girl gets a makeover.

2011-07-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

flowers...

2011-07-11T21:06:00.000-07:00

I made the big bouquet for a memorial that I hosted at my home, and Jesse, my 19 year old son, made the smaller one. Apple, tree, ect...I am very proud of him. I never "taught" him how to do bouquets, but apparently he's watched me do it.

Wedding invitations for one event, table favours for another.

2011-06-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

Jim found an iron "J" at the beach today.

2011-05-21T17:01:00.000-07:00

Beltane

2011-05-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

‎"Hello May? I want to file a complaint against your co-worker, 'April.' I have never been so poorly treated by an employee of Spring, Inc. as I was by her...she was very cold to me, dark and gloomy, maybe an occasional smile but did not once keep her promises. I could have stayed with Winter and Co. and not wasted my hard earned seeds. As a long time customer, I expect you to make this right."

Outside my front door.

2011-04-29T16:10:00.000-07:00

Chickens. That is all.

Jim's niece Morgen came to visit from Australia. Points for how many of us you recognize!

2011-03-27T07:06:00.000-07:00

So glad to be out...

2011-03-23T20:35:00.000-07:00

Of the fundie type church we were married in. Gah. Such a waste of so many years.

Jim goes to the Goodwill outlet, where they offload stuff. He has an eye for vintage stuff, and is really good at cleaning it up and selling it cheap on Craigslist. He uses that money to do "extras" and sometimes pays the kids allowances and gives the checking account a rest. Its like a challenge for him. He also gives things away when he feels his "Craigslist Karma" is low, and is overall a very generous person. He is retired from a good job, and gets retirement, I work, we are relatively comfy after years of struggle.

So, he is going through the bins, and this guy we went to church with 25 years ago comes up. "Jim Britt! What are you doing here?" Jim gets excited about his "project" and is open about it. "Oh, just looking for something to fix up and resell, how are ya?"

The guy gave him THE LOOK. The same fucking look I have seen "Christians" give him, and myself, time and time again. "Oh, not much income, huh? Well, I just come here to buy things for people in need, and I GIVE them away." And then he tried to give Jim his relator's card.

What the hell? I told Jim next time just say "I'm just fucking around, how the fuck are ya?"

I get this all the time with former church people. They never just ask how I am, its always "which Church do you attend now?" and the sideways look to see if the answer is acceptable or not. I once told someone "any circle of green in the woods works just fine."

I am the snarky one.

Danny is 12!

2011-01-28T22:32:00.000-08:00

So we went to the Columbia Tower, and Seattle Public Library. Only one bus from a nearby park and ride, but a lot of hills to climb. It was only 11 dollars for four of us to go to the 73rd floor.

The same boy as below, years ago.

2011-01-04T12:10:00.000-08:00

Danny used to carry his stuffed bunny and wear his leather Harley jacket with a jesters hat, all the time. He wouldn't leave the house without them, so that "wadies will wook at me."

War of the Worlds

2011-01-02T19:25:00.000-08:00

Danny and Jim have been collecting vintage audio equipment at a thrift store outlet. Tonight they decided to recreate a classic radio broadcast. The peace sign is from Jim's shirt, reflecting in our french doors. Oh, and don't worry, the cigar is fake.

Yule

2010-12-04T15:58:00.000-08:00

Artificial tree with ribbon roses and holly from the yard, and the crystals we took off of a 2 dollar Goodwill chandelier.

Clementine, oh my darlin' kittiemine

2010-11-26T19:36:00.000-08:00

First snow...

2010-11-23T21:04:00.000-08:00

Snow rose and snow bunny.

Jack the Bunny got out today, probably his cage wasn't lacked well because of the freeze and my fumbling at 5 am while I fed him. He thought he could hide in the snow, but Jim saw his black spots and ears jumping in the garden. Luckily, Jim returned him to his nice hay filled cage, nice and cozy, but he was mad and "thumped" his back paws to express his anger.

The roses don't know when to quit, hopefully the snow is a good clue card.

Paul Stanley, and Gene Simmons meets Mother Earth...

2010-10-31T19:24:00.000-07:00

...for the first time ever.

Another bouquet for a bride, and Aaron is 16!

2010-10-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

2010-10-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

Three years ago today you left us. I had a long, sad post in my head, but I thought of what you would say. "Get a hold of yourself, Darlin', and quit being a bigger Queen than I am. Death is just a part of life." Love you, miss you, bye.

Ribbon rose bouquets...

2010-10-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

I made some bouquets from pieces of ribbon for a nice gal who's getting married. Hope her attendants like them.

Baby chicks and new floors.

2010-09-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

So, Buffy was broody. And the neighbor had some fertile eggs. And we now have three babies, and Buffy is debroodied. But this one little guy is a renegade, getting out and running into the ditch, which is where Jim found him, cold and scared and mad. Which is why we ***had*** to bring him in and warm him up.

Oh, and we got new floors. Carpeting and barn yards don't go well together.

Boys. Yeah. We got 'em.

2010-09-26T19:03:00.000-07:00

2010-08-15T07:47:00.000-07:00

The garden is like a wedding. April is the rehearsal dinner, May the procession, June the vows, July the reception starts. Now, in late August, everyone has had too much to drink, and the plants are dancing around with lamp shades on their heads.

Mrs. Feverfew is a wanton hussy once she gets a few drinks of aged compost in her, and Mr. Monkshood is a rogue with too much sunshine on his leaves, and good grief, Mr. and Mrs. Cosmo are just crazy from the get go. Many of my guests are now sleeping on the ground and even creeping into the wrong beds, and every year at this time I consider not inviting the whole lot of them and having a calmer, more officious affair. Then in March when its gray and dark and barren, I lose my head and think that their colorful personalities would brighten my spirit. And I consult the wrong social register (i.e. seed catalog, the ultimate "plant porn") and fill out the invitations (i.e. order form). I am not the wisest hostess, it is really far too much of a fuss and bother, but I do have fun.

bouquet de-evolution.

2010-08-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

Just going to the garden to rest, I say. Maybe just a little bouquet, I say. And the flowers kept jumping into the vase.

Grandma Mary

2010-08-06T07:59:00.001-07:00

Random stuff...

2010-07-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

So much for bringing work home...

2010-07-21T22:02:00.001-07:00

...when the garden is gorgeous

18!!!!!!!

2010-07-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

Jesse David Britt. Seems like only yesterday I was hosting a little kids party, and now here he is, all grown up. Sweet, gentle, and kind, but still has the very intense stare he had as a baby.

Here he is by his "dirt cake" (chocolate with Gummi worms, a favorite from when he was little), and he and his buddy setting up speakers in the garden for the party. Good thing he has good taste--Queen, David Bowie, Zeppelin, and Neil Young all made an appearance.

Time for bouquets. That is all.

2010-07-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

The tunnel...

2010-07-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

Out of the secret garden...

2010-06-30T21:02:00.000-07:00

The customary and proper use of a June garden.

2010-06-30T20:48:00.001-07:00

June evenings...just sayin'. Again.

2010-06-28T20:53:00.000-07:00

Showers brought flowers...just sayin'

2010-06-26T20:24:00.000-07:00

Smokey knows how to chill.

2010-06-23T20:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Fathers Day! To Jim from De Anna and our boys.

2010-06-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

How I wish you were here...

2010-06-13T15:51:00.000-07:00

One more secret garden pic...

2010-06-10T20:23:00.000-07:00

One more corridor of light, one more empty seat filled, another evening remembering...

The summer night living room...

2010-05-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

Forever in my heart...

2010-05-08T22:12:00.000-07:00

Not in the ground, not under the rose. You are in the light,and tonight I saw you touch the circlet of green. Love you forever, thank you for shinning.

2010-04-17T07:54:00.001-07:00

Tiger Lily definitely agrees with Mark Twain- "If man could be crossed with the cat, it would improve man but deteriorate the cat. " She thinks the pond was made just for her, in all her regal awesomeness (craft store alligator and feet courtesy of the boys).

pillars of Goodwill ('cause that's where we bought them) and a place to rest...

2010-04-11T13:26:00.001-07:00

Top o' the St. Parrick's Day Mornin' to ya!

2010-03-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

Danny still takes St. Patrick's Day very, very seriously!

A Vintage Kitchen...

2010-03-09T07:01:00.000-08:00

Stove free from Craigslist, kitchen queen from a barn, discount checkered flooring. Hoping to have fun finding little salt and pepper shakers and printed linens, and other post war trappings. We love having a funny old house that doesn't mind being experimented with.

Combat Boots and ?

2010-03-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

I suspect these combat boots have seen their last peasant skirt, after serving me well in the muddy late winter garden (except for maybe the one I wear while I weed the path and spin around to Robert Plant singing with a Moroccan folk band, but ya'll didn't hear about that here).

2010-03-04T09:10:00.001-08:00

Thoughts while weeding..."She's the wolf who knows which root to dig to save herself, the octopus that crawled back to the sea." (Chorus and the Ring, by REM, but quoted at the beginning of the live version of Country Feedback, Michael Stipe's description of strong southern women). That line always, always pops into my head when I struggle to get the whole root. The air, the earth, the water, my intent, a candle lit next summer in my circlet of green. Calms my soul. Maybe I really am trying to save myself.

This is what we've been up to

2010-02-19T09:12:00.000-08:00

Expanding the pond and moving the park bench behind it, a prettier path to the secret garden, and just a small sample of the evergreen trees I planted at the property line. I am so grateful for all the beauty around me.

The old mural...

2010-01-29T08:52:00.000-08:00

From when Danny was on his way, and our house was still just over 800 square feet. And he was our FOURTH baby, who was going to share the room with Mommy and Daddy (they all did anyway). I wanted to give him a special corner, so I painted this above where the "glorified toy holder" (i.e. "crib") was going to be. There were also glowing stars hanging from birch branches hanging from the ceiling. We didn't have a lot of money or real estate, but we were creative.

Now Aaron has that room, and at fifteen, says the bird is lame, so it was painted over with recycled paint last week. Took this for the memories. Glad to have a bigger house now, but it wasn't that terrible when we didn't.

2009-11-15T20:19:00.000-08:00

So glad that the couch is a "Craigslist special." Clementine P.C. (for my Personal Cat) likes to go under it then pop out.

A garage sale chandelier for ten bucks...

2009-10-27T09:14:00.000-07:00

And Aaron turned fifteen, Jesse got a mohawk, and the mommy and baby kitties both have evil eyes for Halloween. And how can I turn the pictures of their sides with this crazy program?

rest in peace, little brother.

2009-10-07T00:48:00.000-07:00

I could have been kinder. I could have been so much more.

Rest in peace, I love you, I hope you have found all that you could have imagined.

Garden employee of the month...

2009-08-27T23:05:00.001-07:00

Watching out for bugs, and maintaining the shape of the rose...

We are brats together in our garden...

2009-08-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-iH9LTL3To

I know I should have gotten the cat fixed...

2009-08-11T16:23:00.000-07:00

But hopefully I can find good homes for her babies, all four of them, two boys, two girls, white with points, striped tabbie-ish. Oh, and the bouquet? I will pick one for anyone who takes a kitty home. If they can get past the mother, that is. She looks pretty fierce.

Flowers without borders...

2009-08-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

Better than borders without flowers, I guess, but I will admit the garden looks like an overblown floozy this time of ye

a pic of all of them...

2009-08-08T02:06:00.000-07:00

We met Dustin at the park for my dad's family reunion. He is looking better, I think. Sometimes that's all a mom has to hold on to.

Oh, and Danny is not mad. His glasses needed adjusting. He has astigmatism, and gets a look on his face without them. Also, notice, still no haircut. He has promised to wear his glasses everyday if we don't make him cut his hair. Sometimes he looks like John Lennon in them.

In the silvery summer evening...

2009-07-31T18:19:00.000-07:00

Dad and Danny take turns swinging in the sprinkler

flowers for work...the garden is on a roll this month.

2009-07-31T18:16:00.000-07:00

Someone is leaving our group, and I've enjoyed working with her, so I brought in a bouquet.

Color from the garden...

2009-07-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

And so we five at home got away, and played on the beach...

2009-07-12T16:52:00.000-07:00

Of course, I felt guilty. I always feel guilty. But the break gave us all renewed strength.

Embrionic Pancake Journey (with apologies to Jefferson Airplane)

2009-07-12T16:37:00.000-07:00

Jim made pancakes from scratch one morning, and this one looked like an ultrasound pic.

Love and light, please...

2009-07-12T16:33:00.001-07:00

June 18th

2009-06-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

A boy, a kitty, a porch swing, and a missing haircut...

2009-06-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

A lovely place for an afternoon nap.

Ok, more flowers...and a dust bath.

2009-06-16T16:26:00.000-07:00

The older three chickens taking their daily dust/mulch bath. Henrietta watches them, and they won't let her into the kaffeeklatsch. But the other day I caught her sitting in the hard pan by the chicken house, trying to fluff her feathers. Wasn't working, but she tried. Poor thing. We can't tell if she is just very young, or somewhat of a dingbat.

Welcome home. All of you.

2009-06-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

Except the chicken. Chickens outside, please.

HENrietta

2009-06-06T16:14:00.001-07:00

Jim got an early Father's Day gift yesterday, a new hen. She is a Buff Brahma, and just 10 months old and GORGEOUS! As for the other hens, you know that scene in "Grease" where Sandy comes into the new school, all sweet and innocent, and the girls from the Pink Ladies pick on her? Yeah, that. The other girls kept on taking turns taking a flying leap and jumping on her. So now, they get to sit in the pen and watch while she gets to be out in the yard. Serves them right. Last night the poor thing wasn't even given a spot on the roost. Just sat all alone across from them all on the shelf of the nesting box.

She is so gentle, she follows Jim around and pretty much asks to be picked up and petted. And she looks pretty in the secret garden.

Memorial Day Weekend...

2009-05-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

Danny at the front porch, the ever elusive Aaron (notice he is running from the camera), a broken chair gets new life as a flower pot, next to the other half of the bedframe that Jim made a gate with (the foot, painted white and supporting the sweetpeas), and a nice place to sit (as if).

May Day

2009-05-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

Jim made me a homemade pea trellis with plum branches,
Tigeris Lillium (Tiger Lily)owns the garden seat, and the garden from the driveway...

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T16:34:00.001-07:00

Jim planted some impatiens in a boot, and around the secret garden (also a very nice breakfast in bed and more flowers). And some random shots from around the yard. Spring is finally here!

A blooming madness

2009-04-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

This time of the year it is not so much that I have a garden as it is that the garden has me. I am sore from all the rock hauling and pruning and digging and planting. Every year about this time I start to doubt that it will happen--that day in July when the earth is still and the flowers dance like fairies.

I don't have much spring flowers. Usually by the time fall comes around, I am sick of planting, so the bulbs don't go in. I did, however, plant Roger some purple tulips, and they are gorgeous. This was to apologize to him for what I will call The Great Henhouse Cleaning Rage. In short, I had a day where I was so mad at him for smoking so much and leaving me and dying. Also a day where the hen house needed a good cleaning. And yeah, well, I dumped the chicken crap all over the grave site where his ashes are buried. Then I felt bad and cried and called his mom, and she laughed and said, "its ok, honey, he could be a real little shit sometimes, we all know that."

And now, probably because of the chicken stuff and my rage, the tulips are beautiful.

I wish all my rages worked out so well. A blooming madness, I tell you.

more projects

2009-04-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

A five dollar bed frame taken apart, the headboard sawed off on one side, and the other side settled into a pipe in the ground. Jim's find and idea, makes a handy gate.

The dry creek bed made from rocks hauled from a construction site. Thank goodness for new wheelbarrows.

Projects...

2009-04-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

Never bored around here at Casa Brittanicals. The garden needs attention. She is such a Prima Donna. And a 50 dollar Craigslist find-- French doors. Add a Home Depot framing kit and its the perfect solution to kittie's on the kitchen counter.

Now Slippers thinks she is a hen...

2009-04-19T10:47:00.000-07:00

She sneaks into the hen house whenever we leave the door open. This is what we found yesterday when we went looking for eggs...

Please tell me that June happens every year...

2009-03-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

March is so bleak.

Danny on St. Patricks Day...

2009-03-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

He takes all minor holidays very, very seriously.

So much for working in the garden...

2009-03-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

kitteh lovies and Penelope laid the biggest egg...

2009-01-11T16:02:00.000-08:00

Jesse and Jack the Bunny and Eddie Vedder the Bunny

2009-01-01T20:39:00.001-08:00

Jesse with Eddie Vedder the bunny:

Jack the Bunny and Jesse the kid

Baby kitty thinks Smokey is her mommy...

2008-12-31T13:15:00.000-08:00

kitteh faboo

2008-12-29T16:04:00.000-08:00

A birthday cake for the sun...

2008-12-28T15:02:00.001-08:00

2008-12-02T20:29:00.000-08:00

We had a chicken for lunch...

2008-12-02T15:04:00.000-08:00

...and she stayed for tea, as well.

Here is Jim with Amelia, are newest Austrolop. He said she wanted to come in. I have no idea how she told him that.

Hola Chickas!!! Josephine, Ophelia, and Penelope

2008-09-30T16:32:00.001-07:00

a friend in Calgary took this picture...

2008-09-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

Which comes first?

2008-09-30T14:02:00.001-07:00

Jim's niece had this lovely baby girl, and his new chicken Josephine laid an egg. He seems excited by both.

chickens and bouquets

2008-09-13T14:07:00.000-07:00

Jim has built a fine chicken house out of found scrap lumber and old windows, and yesterday we picked up Ophelia and Penelope. Then I did some bouquets for a cool banquet that my friend Liz's 13 yo granddaughter and friends organized. One of their classmates died of cancer, so they formed a foundation called the Pinkpolkadots, at www.pinkpolkadots.com, to raise money for families facing cancer.l