I Want

12' of 1.5" hemp mariner's rope
Cedar Essence
8 x 6" boat cleats
Quart semi-gloss dark blue paint
.5 gallon light ice blue semi-gloss paint
Pear's Soap
Nivea cream
Neutrogena oil
Honeysuckle bush (the regular kind)
To * paint the kitchen
* refinish the floor
*replace the curtains

That's all so far!

Indian Summer

It was so very hot yesterday that last night we sat outside reading on the deck until past nine, and this morning I watered early as it will be over 100 degrees. Everything slows down, we eat only salads, and apart from a foray into town to bank and make a delivery I avoid going inland.

Sitting outside like that for a long time is quite different from our usual in and out. There were little children playing on Charlie's dock and their laughter sounded very sweet. There were few birds apart from some avocets, the water was high and still and there was no breeze at all. I thought of the ancient mariner while we ate melon, and grapes from our own vine, and this morning, figs.

Distraction

Raccoons are rampaging in the store room below my office, clicking and purring to each other and re-arranging the furniture.

Cissy redid the Myers-Briggs test, and I did too, since I am awake, and I am now INFJ. Have certainly changed over the years. She differs from me in one variable: guess what it is.

Since we were at a party last night and I am walking with Dagmar in the morning - I wish I could sleep!

Missing Moon

The ferocious cat Moon, eighteen years old and fearsome, went missing last Saturday. This morning I saw three turkey vultures flapping on Teresa's dock so I asked Tom and he said yes, they had found Moon's body in the rough reeds around the lagoon, led by the vultures.

So, vultures have their uses.

Last I saw Moon was 9.30 Saturday night and there he was, asleep in the middle of the road as usual, and showed no signs of stirring when Buckley ran up to him. Absolutely intrepid, he will be missed.

Kareoke!

Last night Felix took me to a kareoke bar on California Street with his friend Becca, and I had such a blast. some singers had wonderful voices! Some didn't. The hardest part is that you can't hear your own voice over the music.

When we got out we walked to Bob's the local 24 hour doughnut shop. Local 24 hour doughnut shop! Is the world mad? I had one nauseating bite of Felix's, conclude I don't understand doughnuts.

Stumbling around this morning doing none of things I had intended, but have been cast as an Eastern European grandmother in an ad, this afternoon, so on with the thick eyebrows, babuska shawl and Dracula accent, and off.

Another Meteor

I dragged sofa cushions out onto the deck last night and saw an amazing meteor, long and bright. It seemed so close I half expected to hear the splash.

Perseids

"Stand on the trestles of the world
and view the humours of the fair
Where fiery javelins are hurled
and God leads round his starry Bear."

I slept outside last night to see the meteors. A dark red half moon rose around midnight, I watched in the darkness, and I saw one! Then I fell asleep, and when I woke again I was covered in dew and it had clouded over, so I came inside to the comfort of my darling bed.

Busy busy

A diverse day, which started with phone calls to distributors in England and on the East Coast, at 4.30 am, then a wild meeting with a potential client, then with my bag of tools to help put up a new bathroom cupboard for Cissy: cupboard, 14.5", space between the studs, slightly less. Let's just say it won't work its way loose any time soon. Blessings upon my wonderful electric planer.

So, I have found a snowman suit, now all I must do is track down, audition and price Chinese contortionists.

A Rush of Blood to the Head

We have been caught up in un travail à deux for http://coastal-cushions.com, which I have found exciting, enervating, terrifying and thrilling - all too much emotion for comfort. Somehow as part of it I have been stripping rooms methodically of their ornament, and it all looks so much better! Just snaps into better focus - Carolyn says it is the improved fung shui which has led to our burst of productivity. If that is so I'll happily empty the house.


Good blog: http://beachcottagelove.blogspot.com

August

We are living life with a degree of intensity right now, partly a product of the recession but not totally. I am having to persist with marketing, when what I would far prefer would be to make something different and additional, like a bee flitting from flower to flower. There are strange eddies and anomalies: Stefan has sold three of his 'Trial" series in three days. I have been advertising on craigslist and finished my first commission on Saturday.

We had a lovely weekend, Felix came over, and Ghazi too, freshly back from Paris and head-turningly elegant. We bumped into Cissy and George in an open house in Corte Madera and all ended up with an uproarious family party, Felix joined it on his way back to the city. We couldn't shoot on Saturday morning but it will keep., and later today I will follow all my leads, I don't want to pounce on people first thing on Monday morning.

I have been reading the Happy Days column in the New York Times, an insight into the culture in its diversity. I smile that so many of the tips they give for saving money are simply our way of life, like drinking tap water at home or out, buying generically and fresh, ingredients rather than made-up stuff.

I love love love the idea of simplicity in itself, and would happily create a sort of uniform (or more honestly, a set of different uniforms). Currently I am dreaming up and will soon create straight leg linen trousers with shell or T tops, maybe even a tunic. My mind has already fluttered ahead to very light linen tops with more detail, pleated necks, bias cut, some peasanty but stripped back. Yum.

Summer is nearly always a grinding time for me no matter how pleasant the weather, and as the days shorten and freshen I take on new life like a parched plant granted shade and cool, sweet rain. Give my roots rain.